bust your chops

bust (one's) chops

1. (acting upon oneself) To exert a significant amount of energy or work very hard to do, accomplish, or complete something. I've been busting my chops all night long to get this presentation ready for tomorrow's meeting. She's going to have to bust her chops if she wants a place on the varsity team.
2. (acting upon someone else) To harass, nag, or upbraid someone to do, accomplish, or complete something. The boss is busting everyone's chops to get the project ready by next week. Quit busting my chops! I'll get it done eventually!
See also: bust, chops
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

bust your chops

exert yourself. North American informal
See also: bust, chops
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • bust (one's) chops
  • bust chops
  • bust someone's chops
  • chops
References in periodicals archive
Then again, because they can see everything on the radar, the tower controller who's known your call sign since the BRITE days can easily bust your chops for being even 100 feet low when you started down the glideslope.
Color radar for tower: full-service radar for the tower controller greases the wheels of smooth traffic flow. This is good news for you
Question: Guys ever bust your chops a little about it?
Vincent plays through the pain
I'm not the 800-pound gorilla out to bust your chops, I feel your pain, and I'm your new best friend." For three pages, Lederer manages to sustain this litany of phrases to be avoided (like the plague?).
Fadspeak
It'll drive by in a red convertible and offer you a lift with a flirty smile, then bust your chops and leave you for road-kill.
The 2-Million-Year-Old Man Speaks