Expression: 'That's the way the ball bounces...'

[Tom]

Dear all

I just read two sentences in the said digest and I need to understand them in simplified English. Please help me as always.

1- When people say, " That's the way the ball bounces,"
they are usually the ones who dropped it.

2- A Grandmother is a mother who has a second chance.

Thanks in advance

Tom

[Mister Micawber]

.
These are humorous extensions of common phrases.

1-- That's the way the ball bounces is a proverb-like standardized utterance used after a misfortune and suggesting that we should accept the vagaries of fate. Balls bounce as they must: sometimes they bounce into windows.

Sentence #1 suggests that people who use this phrase and thus take fate rather lightly are often the same people who caused the unfortunate incident (to drop the ball = to fail to complete an assignment or effort).

2-- Grandmothers have a second chance to 'be a mother'-- to experience the pleasures of motherhood-- when they take care of their grandchildren. (A rather one-sided opinion, to my mind!)
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[Tom]

Thank you a lot, Mr. Micawber.

If anyone wants to see more humorous quotes they may refer to Reader's Digest, May 1988.(pg 112, 144)

Regards

Tom