‘Flapjack’ has different meanings in U.K., U.S.

Question: What is the purpose of the road work at the railroad crossing on West Avenue north of Ashlan Avenue?

– Shelley Law, Fresno

Answer: The city of Fresno is installing sidewalks, curbs, gutters and a median island to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train crossing, city spokesman Randy Reed said.

The project will cost about $353,000, paid for with federal grants and Measure C funds, Reed said. The improvements are scheduled to be completed by June 1.

Q: What is the history of the former Fresno Guide newspaper?

– Micheline Golden, Clovis

A: William B. Paris founded the weekly Downtown Shopping Guide on May 14, 1932. The Shopping Guide ran mostly business-related stories.

The location of the Shopping Guide’s original office is unknown but in 1936, Paris opened an office at 1823 Merced St., and changed the paper’s name to the Fresno Guide.

Paris died in 1951 and his son-in-law, William Spaulding, became the publisher in 1952.

In 1957, the Guide stopped running front-page advertisements and went to an all-news format. In 1961, the Guide began publishing twice a week.

In 1968, the paper was bought by John Bonadelle and Allen and Ellen Funch, and was published three times weekly. For a short time, the Guide was published five days a week.

The Sierra Publishing Co. bought the Guide in 1978 and later sold the paper. The Guide ceased publication in January 1981.

Q: What is the meaning of the word “flapjack”?

– Louise Wyche, Sanger

A: That depends on where you are. In the United Kingdom, a flapjack is a bar cookie made of rolled oats, butter, brown sugar, golden syrup or honey and sometimes fruit.

In South Africa, it’s a large, thin pancake made from ground corn and millet.

In the United States, a flapjack is another word for the thicker, cakey pancake made from wheat flour and baking powder.

Shakespeare mentions flapjacks in “Pericles, Prince of Tyre” in about 1608. In Act 2, Scene 1, a fisherman says to Pericles, “Come, thou shalt go home, and we’ll have flesh for holidays, fish for fasting-days, and moreo’er puddings and flap-jacks, and thou shalt be welcome.”

The “flap” in flapjack is a verb dating from the 1300s meaning “to toss with a smart movement” — that is, to flip.

But the meaning of “jack” is harder to pin down: one dictionary lists 39 definitions. It might refer to the round shape or to ingredients, such as apples.

“Flapjack” also has been used to describe an apple turnover called an apple-jack.