ballin' the jack

An obsolete expression meaning "to make haste", such as grossly exceeding the posted speed limit when operating your vehicle. Usage appears to be limited to the southeastern Oklahoma geographical area among men born pre-WWII. The origins of the phrase are unclear but several possibilities exist. Railroad crews used a jack with a ball on the end when laying and bending the rails of a new track so it could have originated from some tech specific aspect of the track laying procedure, or, more likely, it is derived from a dance of the same name popular during the late 1910's. The dance was derived from an obscure song popular in dance clubs of the era, "Ballin' the Jack". Contrary to the first impression one may experience upon first hearing the phrase it apparently has no connection with a sexual act performed on a male donkey(a jack).