You know, that just skews my explanation of my own screen name by just a tad. What important things in my life start with a P, and would I want to immortalize them (after a fashion) in my nickname? Hmm… guess I’ll have to think about it and get back to you.
F_X
I just want to state, for the record, that not only do I spell it “hampster,” I pronounce it that way, too.
I got this from Dictionary.com:
Of course, if you want the page where I found it… here ya go!
And yes, it does give me the “wheat” definition. (not so sure about the “split piece of wood” one, as I didn’t look for that one) Oh well.
F_X
I damn thee,Flamsterette_X! You are maddeningly correct. I went back to my M W Online and there it was. I just missed it the first time around.
I am contrite. I am humbled. But mostly I’m pissed…mostly. Screw you Flamp, I’m going home!
A related question: is the State in New England “New Hamster” or “New Hampster?”
It all depends on where you shove the hair dryer…
Hey, I’m not doing this to prove some point about how I have SO much more knowledge than you… of course not. If I was wrong, I would have acknowledged it. That said, I’m not using thsi as an opportunity to gloat, either.
But… don’t you damn me for being maddeningly correct. It’s just one of my “evil woman tricks,” as my friend Corey put it to me last week. 
(we were talking about other women in his life who played evil tricks on him [no, not me]… the “crying when in trouble” trick, and the “blaming your victim” trick)
As for your being contrite / humbled / pissed, that’s not my fault. I didn’t intend it that way at all… nor did I intend to show off. Like I used to say to my friend Eric M., “I’m just trying to expand your knowledge of words.” He took it in a nice, friendly way. 
And yes… go home and whine about it if you like. 
But I won’t be there to… do things with. Don’t you tell me to screw off just coz you don’t like being shown up by me, eh? Thanks.
F_X
You gotta watch out for the hamster’s paw. Or maybe it’s SharPkey’s night, tonight…