Do you think the squirrel was insulted? why do you thing so?
Answers
Squirrels are animals that are nervous and twitchy, and change directions very fast. Calling a person ‘squirrelly’ is saying that they cannot make up their minds, that they are very easily distracted, that they cannot focus on something.
It can be somewhat affectionate, but it is definitely a kind of ‘insult’ since it infantalizes the other person by saying, basically, that they are unable to be responsible, to carry out a plan, or to be trusted to do what they said they would do. It is somewhat mild, since it does not mean that they aren’t sincere or well-motivated. But it does say that they are unreliable people.
As an insult - it depends on how it is used (affectionately or with malice). At the mildest end, it is gentle teasing; at the malicious end, it is saying that a person is possibly insane or mentally deficient.