frol·ic / ˈfrälik/ • v. (frol·icked, frol·ick·ing) [intr.] (of an animal or person) play and move about cheerfully, excitedly, or energetically: Edward frolicked on the sand. ∎  play about with someone in a flirtatious or sexual way: he denied allegations that he frolicked with a secretary.• n. (often frolics) a playful action or movement: his injuries were inflicted by the frolics of a young filly | the days of fun and frolic were gone for good. ∎  flirtatious or sexual activity or actions: her poolside frolics.• adj. archaic cheerful, merry, or playful: a thousand forms of frolic life.DERIVATIVES: frol·ick·er n.ORIGIN: early 16th cent. (as an adjective): from Dutch vrolijk ‘merry, cheerful.’

FROLIC

Activities performed by an employee during working hours that are not considered to be in the course of his or her employment, since they are for the employee's personal purposes only.

The doctrine of respondeat superior makes a principal liable for the torts of his or her agent occurring during the course of employment. This is based on the concept that a principal has control over his or her agent's behavior. If an agent was hired to drive from point A to point B, and, through reckless driving, hit a pedestrian along the way, the principal would ordinarily be held liable. If, however, the agent was engaged in frolic, the principal would not be liable. This might occur, for example, if an employee were hired to transport goods from point A to point B and made several detours along the way for personal reasons. If the employee became involved in an accident while on a frolic, the employer would not be liable unless it could be established that he or she was negligent in the hiring or supervision of the employee.

frolic †joyous; sportive. XVI (frowlyke). — Du. vrolijk, f. (M)Du. vro glad, joyous (= OS., OHG. frao, frō, G. froh, ON. frár swift) + -lijk -LY1.
Hence as vb. XVI, whence as sb. XVII.