zany

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 24, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>zany</strong> &#149; \ZAY-nee\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p>A <em>zany</em> is a person who acts like a buffoon to amuse others, or one who is generally foolish or eccentric. <em>Zany</em> also has a more specific sense that refers to a type of clown or acrobat in old comedies.</p> <p>// My brother's friends are an unpredictable bunch of <em>zanies</em>. </p> <p>// The production was bolstered by a talented crew of <em>zanies</em>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zany#h2">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"'Twelfth Night,' one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, is about twins, Viola and Sebastian, who are separated by a shipwreck off the coast of the island of Illyria. Each believes the other has perished. Mistaken identities predictably ensue, along with some hilarious chaos created by a group of <em>zanies</em> led by Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Countess Olivia's fool Feste and serving woman Maria, all who scheme to torment Olivia's pompous manservant Malvolio." — Jeff McKinnon, <em>Noozhawk</em> (Santa Barbara County, California), 19 Mar. 2022</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>The <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oddball">oddballs</a> among us are likely familiar with <em>zany</em> as an adjective, meaning "eccentric." But did you know the word originated as a noun—one that has withstood the test of time? Zanies have been theatrical buffoons since the heyday of the Italian <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commedia-dell'arte">commedia dell’arte</a>, in which a "zanni" was a stock servant character, often an intelligent and proud valet with abundant common sense and a love of practical jokes. <em>Zanni</em> comes from a dialect nickname for <em>Giov