Squinny is the closest thing I've heard to "grinny", which made it into a "Pittsburghese" book I got when I moved here. Even the book didn't know where that one came from though. I like it a lot, because they make me grin.

So you know any history on the word squinny?

I liked your article - I am in the camp with "if you don't mind where it is, let it grow".

They leave pits from my black cherry tree here and there, too.

Grinny sounds cute. I don't know much about "squinny" other than it seemed to have originated in the Des Moines area.

It is interesting the populations of squinnys here seem to fluctuate quite a bit. This last spring we saw pairs chasing after each other, but by August, most have disappeared. It seemed too early for hibernation.
Here is one of them I found in the feeding area.