////Also as you have probably noticed Greg, no sense of humor either.////

Yeah, no kidding.

////*grin*...'ex' is a has been, and 'spurt' is a drip under pressure. It's clear as mud, cat.////

Ah,ha! Sorry, it was a slow day yesterday and even slower today since I was out til 4 am.

Expert, of course, shares the same root with "experience."   It comes from the Latin "experiri" ot "to try". Experiment is another variation obviously.

The "ex" really comes from "ax" or "axe" and indicates cutting or separating or removing. Hence ex-wife, excision, exorcise, exorbitant, extend, exact, etc. I don't think it applies to expert in that sense but it might.