I found this:- There are competing theories as to etymological origin of the word "Jack". John P Monro, Bowls Encyclopaedia (3rd ed), gives that the name 'jack' is derived from the Latin word jactus, meaning a cast or a throw. A sport played by young men called "casting the stone" is mentioned by William FitzStephen, a close friend of Thomas à Becket, in the...
Long ago when I was a novice I was asked to play an indoor game and flat shoes were a must......fine....but I hadn't bought my bowling shoes then....
So I wore shoes with a flat sole......just completely flat toe to heel and was I ever torn off a strip in the middle of the green.......!
There was a slight pattern on part of the sole.......which.....according to the nasty man who pulled me off the green.....wasn't flat.......
It was flat....just not smooth which is what they should have stipulated......
Every woman knows what a flat shoe it........☺
I explained the difference between....smooth and flat.....and left.... :-(