Flapjack
Flapjack is an English-language term with multiple meanings, primarily related to food but also extending to organisms, entertainment, and other contexts. In cuisine, a flapjack can refer to: Beyond food, flapjack refers to: This versatility highlights regional and contextual differences in the term's application.Food
Pancake
In American English, a flapjack refers to a thin, flat cake prepared from a batter consisting primarily of flour, milk, eggs, and leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda, which is cooked on a griddle or in a frying pan until golden on both sides.[1] This distinguishes it from the British flapjack, which is a dense, baked oat bar rather than a batter-based fried food.[4] The term "flapjack" originated in England around 1600, with early references appearing in literature like Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1607), where it described a flat cake flipped during cooking—the "flap" alluding to the action of tossing it in the pan.[4] European colonists brought this tradition to North America in the 17th century, adapting it with local ingredients like cornmeal or buckwheat flour to create hearty versions suited to frontier life, often cooked over open fires as a portable bread substitute.[9] By the 18th century, flapjacks had become a staple in colonial cuisine, evolving into the fluffy breakfast item recognized today.[10] Preparation begins with whisking dry ingredients—typically 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt—before incorporating wet components like 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs, and 1/4 cup of melted butter to form a smooth batter.[11] The batter is ladled onto a preheated, greased griddle at medium heat, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side until bubbles form and the edges set, then flipped to finish. Flapjacks are commonly served hot with toppings such as maple syrup, butter, fresh fruit, or whipped cream, emphasizing their role as a versatile breakfast dish.[11] Regional variations include smaller, thicker "silver dollar" flapjacks, about 2-3 inches in diameter, often made in batches for easy stacking and popular in Midwestern diners.[12] In the Northeast and South, cornmeal-based versions known as johnnycakes—made with a mix of cornmeal, flour, milk, and eggs—offer a denser, slightly gritty texture, tracing back to Native American influences adopted by early settlers.[9] Flapjacks hold iconic status in North American cuisine as a comforting breakfast essential, symbolizing abundance and simplicity in everyday meals.[13] They feature prominently in American folklore, such as the tall tales of lumberjack giant Paul Bunyan, whose massive flapjack feasts required oxen to haul ingredients and heated entire camps with cooking steam.[14] This cultural prominence extends to events like National Pancake Day, observed on February 17 in some U.S. contexts to celebrate the dish's communal joy through free giveaways and flipping contests.[15]Oat bar
In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries, a flapjack refers to a dense, chewy tray-baked confection primarily composed of rolled oats bound together with butter, brown sugar, and golden syrup, typically cut into squares after cooling.[7] This contrasts with the American interpretation of flapjacks as fried pancakes, positioning the British version as a solid, portable baked good rather than a griddle-cooked item.[4] The modern British flapjack as an oat bar emerged in the mid-1930s, with the term first applied to this specific preparation around that time, though earlier flat oat-based cakes existed in Scottish traditions using oatmeal and treacle as binders.[4] Its popularity surged during World War II rationing in the UK, when unrationed oats made it a simple, sustaining treat amid shortages of flour and sugar, allowing households to create an energy-dense snack with minimal ingredients.[16] A standard recipe yields a tray of about 16 squares and involves melting 175g butter, 175g dark brown sugar, and 175g golden syrup in a saucepan over low heat until smooth, then stirring in 350g rolled oats to coat evenly before pressing the mixture into a lined 20cm square tin.[17] The tin is baked at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes until the top turns golden brown, after which it cools completely in the tin to achieve the signature chewy texture before slicing.[17] Variations expand on the base formula by incorporating add-ins such as chopped chocolate, nuts like walnuts or pecans, or dried fruits including raisins or cranberries for added texture and flavor.[18] Internationally, adaptations include no-bake American energy bars that mimic the oat-syrup binding without oven use, or Australian versions substituting honey for golden syrup to create a slightly floral profile.[18] Flapjacks derive their nutritional value largely from oats, providing high dietary fiber content that supports digestive health and sustained energy release, alongside minerals like manganese and B vitamins such as thiamine.[19] Per 100g serving, they typically offer around 400-450 kcal, with a macronutrient balance emphasizing carbohydrates from oats and sugars, fats from butter, making them a popular snack or quick energy source for hikers and athletes.[20] Commercial brands like Dorset Flapjacks produce handmade versions using natural ingredients, available in flavors such as original or fruit-infused for wider accessibility.[21]Organisms
Octopus
The flapjack octopus belongs to the genus Opisthoteuthis, a group of cirrate octopods characterized by their distinctive ear-like fins that aid in locomotion and give them a resemblance to flapping pancakes.[22] This genus includes approximately 25 species, such as Opisthoteuthis calypso, which is notable for its greatly enlarged proximal suckers on the arms in males, distinguishing it from other congeners.[23] These deep-sea cephalopods are adapted to life in low-light environments, with their flattened, umbrella-like form facilitating efficient movement across the seafloor.[24] Physically, flapjack octopuses possess a soft, gelatinous body that can reach up to 50 cm in diameter, providing neutral buoyancy in the water column without requiring a gas-filled chamber.[22] Their arms are connected by a prominent web, and they feature large eyes suited for detecting bioluminescent prey in dim conditions, along with a reddish-orange coloration that aids in camouflage against abyssal sediments.[24] The ear-like fins, formed by webbing extensions from the mantle, allow for gentle flapping motions, while an internal U-shaped shell supports the mantle.[25] In species like O. calypso, the mantle length typically measures around 5 cm, with the overall form emphasizing a compact, dome-shaped profile.[26] These octopuses inhabit deep ocean floors at depths ranging from 200 to 1,500 meters, spanning worldwide distributions from the Pacific to the Atlantic Oceans, and prefer soft, muddy sediments where they can burrow or hover.[22] They thrive in cold, stable bathypelagic zones with minimal currents, which suits their delicate, watery tissues that are prone to damage from pressure changes.[24] O. calypso, for instance, has been recorded in the southeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, though its rarity limits detailed mapping of its range.[25] Behaviorally, flapjack octopuses employ their fins for a combination of jet propulsion via water expulsion and fin-flapping to hover or glide over the benthos, often adopting a flattened "pancake" posture to blend with the surroundings.[22] They feed primarily on small crustaceans, polychaete worms, and other benthic invertebrates, using their sharp beak to capture and consume prey whole or in pieces, with evidence of continuous feeding patterns throughout the day.[27] A distinctive reproductive trait is the brooding behavior of females, who carry developing eggs attached beneath their oral web, protecting them until hatching without leaving to forage, which can last several months in the cold depths.[28] In a notable 2025 discovery, the species Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis, dubbed the Carnarvon flapjack octopus, was described from five specimens collected at 1,044–1,510 meters in the Carnarvon Canyon off Western Australia.[29] This tiny gelatinous octopus, measuring about 4 cm in diameter, features disproportionately massive eyes and vivid blood-red tentacles, adaptations likely enhancing vision in its abyssal habitat.[30] The description, based on material from a 2022 CSIRO research voyage, highlights its shape-shifting web and fins, contributing to the growing tally of ten new Australian Opisthoteuthis species identified in recent years.[31]Algae
The common flapjack, Carpophyllum maschalocarpum, is a kelp-like brown alga belonging to the family Sargassaceae, endemic to the coastal waters of New Zealand, including the North, South, and Chatham Islands.[32][33] This species thrives in the low intertidal zone, attaching to rocks in pools, channels, and crevices on exposed vertical faces, where it forms dense tufts or bands that withstand wave action in temperate marine environments.[34] Morphologically, C. maschalocarpum features a flattened, leathery stipe up to 1.5 meters in length, from which alternate, planar fronds extend, providing a tough, pliable structure adapted to turbulent conditions.[34] These fronds bear stalked, ellipsoid vesicles—air-filled bladders that enhance buoyancy and maintain the alga's position in the water column.[34] The holdfast is flattened with peg-like attachments, securing the plant to rocky substrates without true roots, distinguishing its plant-like form from more mobile marine organisms despite superficial resemblances in flattened shape.[35] Ecologically, C. maschalocarpum plays a key role in subtidal and intertidal reef communities, offering structural habitat and refuge for small fish, amphipods, and other invertebrates amid its dense thickets.[36] As a primary producer, it harnesses photosynthesis to support local food webs, while reproducing asexually through motile zoospores and sexually via gametes, ensuring propagation in dynamic coastal settings.[34] Traditionally, Māori communities have harvested this edible alga for food, incorporating it into dishes as a nutrient-rich marine resource.[34] Conservation concerns for C. maschalocarpum include vulnerabilities to climate-driven ocean warming, acidification, and pollution, which disrupt its intertidal habitats and growth cycles.[37] Additionally, the species is under study for its bioactive compounds, such as phlorotannins and carmalols, which exhibit antioxidant and antimicrobial properties with potential pharmaceutical applications.[38][39]Entertainment
Animated television series
The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack is an American animated television series created by Thurop Van Orman that premiered on Cartoon Network on June 5, 2008, and concluded on August 30, 2010.[40] The show ran for three seasons, comprising 46 half-hour episodes that feature 90 individual segments. It centers on the whimsical, seafaring escapades of Flapjack, an enthusiastic young orphan raised by the talking whale Bubbie, and his lazy pirate mentor Captain K'nuckles, as they navigate life in the eccentric port town of Stormalong Harbor while pursuing the legendary Candy Island. The series was produced using traditional hand-drawn cel animation, with backgrounds and character designs evoking the rubber-hose style of 1930s cartoons for a distinctive, bouncy aesthetic.[41] Van Orman not only created the show but also voiced the titular Flapjack, while Brian Doyle-Murray provided the voice for the scheming Captain K'nuckles, and Roz Ryan lent her talents to the maternal Bubbie. Additional recurring voices included Jeff Bennett as various harbor residents and Steve Little as the inventor Dr. Barber.[42] Critics and audiences lauded the series for its absurd humor, inventive storytelling, and offbeat charm, which helped cultivate a dedicated cult following.[43] It earned a 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation, specifically for background painter Chris Roszak's work on the episode "Sea Legs." The show's enduring appeal has led to renewed visibility on streaming services such as HBO Max and Hulu during 2023–2025. In terms of legacy, alumni from Flapjack have influenced a network of interconnected animated projects, often referred to as the "Flapjack family," including contributions to The Owl House by shared writers and artists.[44]Music
FlapJack Entertainment Music Publisher was an independent music label founded in 2010 by producer Flap Jack, focusing on experimental multi-genre music that spanned electronic, hip-hop, and related styles. The label operated actively from 2012 to 2018, releasing tracks through digital platforms before discontinuing operations; its catalog remains archived online via services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. This DIY-oriented publisher emphasized innovative production and artist management, supporting emerging talents in underground scenes without major label backing.[45][46][47] Among its key releases, the 2013 single "The Lights" by Rockie Fresh, featuring FlapJack Entertainment, highlighted the label's hip-hop contributions with its upbeat, motivational sound. Producer Flap Jack, central to the label's output, created electronic and hip-hop tracks such as "I'm So High (Remastered)" in 2016 and remixes like "Miami," blending funky beats with experimental elements. These works exemplified the label's approach to multi-genre fusion, often distributed via independent platforms like Audiomack and Spotify.[48][49][47] A notable artist profile associated with the "Flapjack" moniker is DJ Flapjack, also known as Flapjack the Kandi Kid, a Los Angeles-based DJ who has been a fixture in the American underground hardcore rave scene for over a decade. Specializing in happy hardcore and vinyl-spun rave tracks, he draws from 1990s aesthetics like kandi culture and phat pants, performing at events such as Boiler Room sets and raves. As of 2025, DJ Flapjack maintains an active Instagram presence with 23,000 followers, sharing content on record collections and performances.[50][51][52] FlapJack Entertainment and related artists occupied a niche role in underground music communities, fostering DIY publishing models that influenced small-scale electronic and hip-hop production. Their contributions occasionally extended to broader media through samples or incidental sound elements in themed entertainment, though the focus remained on independent releases. Recent activity includes 2025 YouTube uploads of legacy tracks and DJ sets, such as DJ Flapjack's performance at Newcores Eve, preserving the experimental ethos for online audiences.[53][54]Other uses
Geographical features
The Flapjack River is a 39.2-kilometre-long (24.4 mi) tributary located in the municipality of La Tuque, in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, where it flows into Mattawa Bay on the southwestern side of the Gouin Reservoir.[55][56] This river forms part of the broader Saint-Maurice River watershed, contributing to the hydrological system that supports regional water management and ecosystems.[57] The surrounding geography reflects the Precambrian geology of the Canadian Shield, dominated by Laurentian gneiss formations shaped by past glacial activity, which has influenced the river's course and the reservoir's expansive basin.[57] Exploration and mapping of the area, including the Flapjack River, occurred in the early 20th century as part of efforts to develop hydroelectric infrastructure; the Gouin Reservoir was impounded starting in 1916 by the Shawinigan Water & Power Company to harness the Saint-Maurice River for electricity generation, with the dam completed in 1918.[57] Ecologically, the river and adjacent waters support freshwater species including walleye, northern pike, sauger, and occasionally brook trout and lake trout. Recreational activities include canoeing, facilitated by the interconnected waterways of the Gouin Reservoir, which offer opportunities for paddling amid remote forested terrain.[58] In the United States, Flapjack Lakes are situated in the Staircase area of Olympic National Park, Washington State, within a subalpine basin at an elevation of approximately 3,850 feet (1,174 meters).[59] These twin lakes, accessible via a strenuous 14.7-mile round-trip trail from the Staircase Rapids trailhead, are renowned for their scenic emerald waters and surrounding rugged peaks of the Sawtooth Range, with the site supporting populations of large trout that attract anglers.[60] The lakes' formation ties to the sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Olympic Mountains, further modified by glacial processes, providing habitat for alpine flora and fauna while serving as a base for backpacking and fishing excursions.[59]Aircraft
The Vought XF5U-1, known as the "Flying Flapjack," was an experimental disk-shaped fighter aircraft prototype developed by the Chance Vought division of United Aircraft Corporation for the U.S. Navy.[61] Conceived in the late 1930s by aeronautical engineer Charles H. Zimmerman to explore low-speed handling and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities for carrier-based fighters, the project evolved from the earlier V-173 proof-of-concept demonstrator, which first flew in November 1942.[62] The Navy issued a letter of intent for two XF5U-1 prototypes in September 1942, with the contract formalized in July 1944, spanning development from initial design through 1947.[63] The aircraft featured an all-wing configuration with a low-aspect-ratio, circular planform to maximize lift at low speeds while enabling high-speed performance, addressing the Navy's need for versatile naval interceptors during World War II.[64] Key design elements included a 32 ft 6 in (9.9 m) overall width, a length of 28 ft 8 in (8.7 m), and a height of 14 ft 9 in (4.5 m), with a wing area of 475 sq ft (44.1 m²) using a symmetrical NACA 0016 airfoil for balanced lift.[63][64] Propulsion came from two Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7 Twin Wasp radial engines, each rated at 1,350 hp (1,010 kW), buried within the fuselage and driving counter-rotating, 16 ft (4.9 m) diameter propellers via extension shafts and gearboxes at the wingtips to eliminate torque effects.[62] This setup, combined with large trailing-edge flaps and a high ground angle of 18.75°, allowed for an estimated stall speed as low as 40 mph (64 km/h) and takeoff runs under 300 ft (91 m) in headwinds, while projected top speeds reached 425 mph (684 km/h) at sea level.[63] Armament provisions included six .50-caliber machine guns or four 20 mm cannons, plus underwing hardpoints for two 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs, emphasizing its role as a carrier fighter.[64] The all-metal structure weighed approximately 14,550 lb (6,600 kg) empty, with an internal fuel capacity of 261 U.S. gallons (988 L).[63] Development progressed with the first prototype (BuNo 33958) used for static structural testing starting in 1945, confirming the airframe's integrity under loads up to ultimate strength.[62] The second prototype (BuNo 33959) underwent ground taxi tests beginning February 3, 1947, at Vought's Stratford, Connecticut facility, where it demonstrated short hops but encountered severe vibrations in the propeller drive system, rendering it unstable for sustained flight.[61] These issues, compounded by delays in propeller redesign and gearbox reliability, prevented full flight testing, which had been planned for Muroc Dry Lake (now Edwards Air Force Base).[63] The program was canceled on March 17, 1947, shortly after initial taxi runs, due to the Navy's shift toward jet propulsion amid post-World War II budget constraints and the rapid obsolescence of piston-engine designs.[62] Both prototypes were subsequently scrapped in 1948, with no flight-capable airframes preserved.[63] The XF5U-1's legacy lies in its pioneering exploration of lifting-body and all-wing configurations, which advanced understanding of high-lift aerodynamics for STOL operations and influenced subsequent experimental designs emphasizing vertical/short takeoff capabilities.[65] Although it never entered production, the project's emphasis on disk-like forms contributed to conceptual developments in unconventional aircraft, including Vought's own proposed turbine-powered follow-ons like the VS-341, and broader interest in saucer-shaped vehicles for naval applications during the early jet era.[63] Its innovative approach to integrating propulsion and lift foreshadowed later V/STOL technologies, though practical realization awaited advancements in the 1950s and beyond.[62]Computing
Flapjax is a functional reactive programming language developed at Brown University between 2006 and 2009, specifically designed for creating interactive web applications that integrate server communication and dynamic user interfaces.[66] Created by Gregory H. Cooper along with Leo A. Meyerovich, Arjun Guha, Jacob Baskin, Michael Greenberg, Aleks Bromfield, and Shriram Krishnamurthi, it emerged as a response to the limitations of traditional imperative JavaScript programming in handling asynchronous events and data flows in Ajax-style applications.[66] The language was publicly released in 2006 and formalized in a 2009 OOPSLA paper, which earned it the ACM SIGPLAN Most Influential OOPSLA Paper Award in 2019 for its lasting impact on web development paradigms.[67] At its core, Flapjax combines spreadsheet-like declarative reactivity with event-driven models, enabling developers to express dynamic behaviors using functional programming principles that avoid explicit imperative state management.[66] Key abstractions include event streams for handling discrete events from sources like user inputs or server responses, and behaviors for continuous values that update automatically upon dependency changes, allowing seamless propagation of updates across the application.[66] This approach supports compositional programming, where complex interactions—such as auto-saving forms or drag-and-drop interfaces—are built by chaining operations like mapping, filtering, and reducing over streams, without manual synchronization.[66] For instance, a reactive query might usemap to transform incoming data events and reduce to aggregate them into a running total, all evaluated lazily to optimize performance in browser environments.[66]
Built as an extension to JavaScript, Flapjax integrates directly with the Document Object Model (DOM) and runs on unmodified web browsers, either as a library or via a compiler that outputs plain JavaScript code.[66] Its syntax augments JavaScript with operators like $E for event streams and liftB for creating reactive behaviors, facilitating declarative descriptions of web mashups and real-time updates; for example, liftB(document.getElementById('input').value, parseInt) creates a behavior that reactively converts user input to an integer.[66] Released as open-source software under the 3-clause BSD license, Flapjax powered practical applications such as an interactive resume builder (deployed for over three years) and the Continue conference management system (used by more than 25 events).[68][66]
Flapjax's emphasis on functional reactivity influenced subsequent web frameworks by demonstrating how to manage state changes declaratively, inspiring libraries like React.js through its event-stream model and automatic dependency tracking. Although the project has no active maintenance—the GitHub repository was archived in November 2019—it remains a foundational reference in reactive computing research, with ongoing citations in studies on incremental computation and web UI paradigms as recently as 2023.[69]