having a ball

Banana Yoshimotoの小説 "The Lake" を読み始めました。彼女の作品を読むのは、以前 "Kitchen" を読んだので、これで2作目です。

One night, a business associate invited my dad out drinking and took him to my mom's club. My dad fell for my mom the moment he set eyes on her. She had a good feeling about him too. When it came time to close up shop, they went to a Korean restaurant and ordered all sorts of dishes, laughing like crazy and having a ball, sharing their food like old freinds.

"having a ball" この表現は6/12/2012に取り上げていました。語源はOxford English Dictionaryに次の説明があります。

Early 17th century from French bal ‘a dance’, from late Latin ballare ‘to dance’; related to Greek ballizein ‘to dance’ (also ballein ‘to throw’).
ダンスに余り興味の無い私としては "ball" は球技の "ball" を連想した方が納得できるので勝手な解釈ですが
"having a ball" でラグビーやテニス、卓球で楽しむことを連想します。もっとも、今楽しんでいる球技はテニスと卓球だけで、ラグビーは３０年前に卒業し、今はもっぱらテレビでの観戦だけですが。