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Pructus Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

squirrel VS a squirrel

Give a woman a disaster and she turns squirrel.

Above is from Stephen King's Skeleten Crew.

Squirrel is definitely a countable noun.

Then doesn't it have to be "a squirrel"?

It is highly unthinkable Stephen King could have written a wrong sentence.

Then, why no "a squirrel"?
  

Top answer

Treat "to turn squirrel" as an idiom. Someone may know exactly what the idiom means. I can only guess that it means to take on the characteristics of a squirrel, for example, to be easily panicked -- to become (metaphorically) a squirrel.

— CalifJim

  • Treat "to turn squirrel" as an idiom.
  • Someone may know exactly what the idiom means.
  • I can only guess that it means to take on the characteristics of a squirrel, for example, to be easily panicked -- to become (metaphorically) a squirrel.
  • CJ
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4 Answers
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Treat "to turn squirrel" as an idiom.
Someone may know exactly what the idiom means. I can only guess that it means to take on the characteristics of a squirrel, for example, to be easily panicked -- to become (metaphorically) a squirrel.
CJ
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squirrel can also be a verb - to hide things away safely for future use.

That's the meaning I'd take here - a disaster makes people start storing up food, water etc.
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Thanks, both Gugus!

I understood....

But if squirrel is a verb, then doesn't it have to be, turn to squirrel..... ?
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OK, it's not being used as a verb here in this example, but it has that meaning of 'someone who hides things away for future use'
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