Flapjack
/ˈflæpˌdʒæk/noun
A flat cake or pancake, especially one cooked on a griddle.
Did you know?Unlike words such as mortgage or disaster, flapjack has no hidden magical meaning in its roots; it’s an English compound built from everyday descriptive words for something flat and slapped onto a hot surface.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern English
English
flap jack
“A flat cake, especially one cooked on a griddle; originally a descriptive compound.”
16th-17th Century
English
flap
“To strike or slap lightly, or something that hangs loose and can move back and forth.”
Middle English
English
jack
“A common masculine name used broadly for an ordinary fellow or a thing of a basic, handy sort.”
Modern English
English
flapjack
“A pancake or oat bar, especially in British and American usage.”