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Like a lot of terms, it has nuances that have developed since originally meaning a clear aspect of a ball signal.  Generally (varied with railroads) with lantern signals, a vertical up and down swing meant go away from me while swinging a circle meant come to me.  A lantern highball was either of those two signals exaggerated and preceded with a quick rocking side-to-side arc with the hump upward.  The arc would be maybe one foot across.  It was almost like the basic come to me and go away from me signs were modified with the preceding arc to make them more than just one of a series of go ahead and back up signs used during switching.   <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> That arc would also be used alone as a tiny, fast arc, only a few inches across for about one second.  It was like a tiny mars light.  That simply meant answering OK, like for telling someone that a switch was lined.  So I take that OK meaning to also apply to the bigger version of that arc that was used to make a come or go sign into a highball.  An OK is sort of implicit with OK to leave town.  I wonder if the lantern arc is a symbol of a ball. <o:p></o:p> Here is what a railroad glossary says about Highball: <o:p></o:p> HIGHBALL—Signal made by waving hand or lamp in a high, wide semicircle, meaning "Come ahead" or "Leave town" or "Pick up full speed." Verb highball or phrase 'ball the jack means to make a fast run. Word highball originated from old-time ball signal on post, raised aloft by pulley when track was clear. A very few of these are still in service, in New England and elsewhere. <o:p></o:p> I would disagree that HIGHBALL means “Come ahead” as the definition says. <o:p></o:p> How did the drink acquire the name, highball?
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