Terms from Kerouac's 'On the Road'?

Question

Does anyone know what the term "Ballin' the jack" means? It's used for driving. I think it has something to do with 'flooring it' but I'm not sure.

Answer 1

It was a song and a dance based on that song in 1913. It was also a term used by railroad workers to mean the train was going at top speed, so "flooring it" is pretty close.