'ballyrag' originates from English, specifically from the minced oath element 'bally' (a euphemistic alteration of 'bloody') combined with 'rag' (used in senses of 'tease' or 'abuse').

'bally' developed as a 19th-century euphemism for 'bloody', while 'rag' has long been used in colloquial English to mean 'tease' or 'abuse'; these elements combined in colloquial speech to form 'ballyrag', which became established in modern English.

Initially it carried senses closer to 'to tease or ridicule', but over time it has come to be used primarily in the sense 'to scold or berate'.