ballin' the jack

noun

Daringly running a locomotive at high speed.

First used late 19th or early 20th c.
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Meanings

nounballin' the jack (uncountable)
  1. archaicuncountableDaringly running a locomotive at high speed.First known use late 19th or early 20th c.
  2. archaicuncountableDancing a dance named after the daring act of the railroad engineer.First known use 1913

Origin

See Wikipedia at Ballin' the Jack § Origin.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ballin' the jack. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballin'%20the%20jack

MLA

“ballin' the jack.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballin'%20the%20jack. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ballin' the jack,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballin'%20the%20jack.

Source: ballin' the jack on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.