ball the jack, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

ball the jack v.

[SAmE phrase high-ball, the railway man’s hand signal to set a train in motion + (orig. US black) jack, a locomotive, abbr. of SE jackass, a donkey that, like the locomotive, works very hard; used first in the lumberjack jargon ball the jack, of a logging train, to go very fast; thence to general railroad jargon and after that mainstream sl.]

1. (US) to drive very fast, to work very hard.

1918		‘Hoochey, Coochey Hilda’ in J.J. Niles Singing Soldiers (1927) 25: I come to France to make de Kaiser ball de Jack.
1931		J.W. Clark ‘Lumberjack Lingo’ in AS VII:1 53: ‘Ballin’ the jack’ and ‘railroadin’ without steam’ mean going fast.
1935		F. Wead Ceiling Zero Act I: I’m balling the jack at a thousand feet.
1946		Louis Jordan ‘Choo Choo Ch’Boogie’ 🎵 So when I hear a whistle I can peek through the crack, / And watch the train a rollin’ when they’re ballin’ the jack.
1951		Kerouac On the Road (The Orig. Scroll) (2007) 120: He balled the jack and told stories for a couple of hours.
1953		J. Thompson Savage Night (1991) 107: The fast meat train that balls the jack all the way into El Reno.
1965		C. Himes Rage in Harlem (1969) 116: Black gal make a freight train jump de track but a yaller gal make a preacher Ball de Jack.
1973		J. Yount Trapper’s Last Shot (1974) 33: He heard a big tractor and trailer rig up on the highway, balling the jack.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 319: Never had she known a happiness quite the equal of balling the jack down the highway.
1991		O.D. Brooks Legs 32: The following day three trains balled the jack through the town without stopping.

2. (US black) to perform an energetic dance to a backing of hand claps.

1913		Chris Smith & Jim Burris [song title] Ballin’ the Jack.
1914		‘St. Louis Blues’ 🎵 A long tall gal makes a preacher ball de jack.
1928		N.I. White Amer. Negro Folk-Songs 329: [reported from Durham, NC 1919] I can shimmy, she wabble, I can ball-the-jack. [Ibid.] 391: [reported from Auburn, AL 1915–16] Corn in de field, / Hay in de stack. / Baby in de chicken coop / Ballin’ de jack. [Ibid.] 400: [reported from Durham, NC 1919] Baby in the cradle just balling the jack.
1931		A. Bontemps God Sends Sun. 51: A black-headed gal make the freight jump de track, / But a long tall gal make a preacher ball de jack.
1943		C.E. Smith Jazz Record 3: In 1917 [...] there were several dances in vogue, namely: ‘walkin’ the dog,’ ‘jazz dance,’ and ‘ballin’ the jack’.
1957		Kerouac On The Road (1972) 200: Dig the way he [...] balls that Jack.

3. to enjoy a riotous party.

1914		Victor Military Band [song title] Ballin’ the Jack.
1929		Louisiana Rhythm Kings [song title] Ballin’ the Jack.
2000		C. Cook Robbers (2001) 3: Austin, state capital, university town [...] balling the jack on a full tilt bender.

4. to risk everything on a single throw.

1927

C. Woofter ‘Dialect Words and Phrases from West-Central West Virginia’ in AS II:8 348: ball the jack (v.i.), to risk everything on one attempt.

5. (US black) to have sexual intercourse.

1926		Sam Butler ‘You Can’t Keep No Broom’ 🎵 You get to ball the jack / You begin to fuss / And get your rider back.
1928		N.I. White Amer. Negro Folk-Songs 338: [reported from Auburn, AL 1915–16] I want some good woman / To ball-the-jack with me.
c.1930		Bessie Smith ‘Baby Doll’ 🎵 I want to be somebody’s baby doll to ease my mind / He can be ugly, he can be black, so long as he can eagle rock and ball the jack.
1961		C. Bingham Run Tough, Run Hard n.p.: I don’t really think you and moms were balling the jack together.

6. to move in a noticeable manner.

1953

Kramer & Karr Teen-Age Gangs 180: Money John wove his fingers together on his head and began to wiggle and sway. ‘That’s what I call ballin’ the jack.’.