From: mdhangton@gmail.com   
      
   Brian M. Scott wrote:   
   > On Tue, 25 Aug 2015 18:17:20 -0400, William Vetter   
   >  wrote   
   > in in   
   > rec.arts.sf.composition:   
   >   
   >> I think that this word has separate, almost conflicting   
   >> meanings in US and UK.   
   >   
   >> In UK it means jittery, restless, unpredictable.   
   >   
   >> In US, especially rural US, it means cunning, a   
   >> trickster, difficult to pin down.   
   >   
   >> Is this so?   
   >   
   > Not in my experience: I know only the first sense.   
   >   
   When I was about 25, I went on a few dates with a woman who lived   
   somewhere near Lewsiton, PA, deceased father had a dairy farm that was   
   sold, told me she was a fan of Green Acres.  I was able to conceal my   
   mirth, and I told her that I saw Eva Gabor on David Letterman Show, and   
   that she overwhelmed him when he tried to ridiculize her like he did   
   with the celebrities.  She nodded her head and replied, "She's   
   squirrelly."   
      
   That was the first time I heard this usage.  I took it to mean that   
   squirrels are considered difficult to shoot.   
   This meaning is in the American Heritage Dictionary I have.   
      
      
   The other thing I remember from her is that she had Amish neighbors,   
   and, you know, they generally don't allow modern machinery in their   
   lives, but they'd keep knocking on her door to ask, "May I use your   
   appliance?" which was what they did whenever they wanted to make a   
   phone call.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)