Zany

noun

• a subordinate clown or acrobat in old comedies who mimics ludicrously the tricks of the principal

• :  a slavish follower

•  :  one who acts the buffoon to amuse others :  nut, kook

Source:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zany

I came across this word in the reading excerpt, “A Picture Of Language: The Fading Art Of Diagramming Sentences” by Juanna Summers. This word can be found in the sentence “If you weren’t taught to diagram a sentence, this might sound a little zany”. The sentence before says ” But sentence diagramming brings geometry into grammar”. I believe this word is being used in descriptive terms of foolish or crazy like a nut or kook. The author is saying that the idea of diagram sentence might sound crazy because it’s in a different format that not everyone is use to learning about sentences.