Dropping the ball?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="The">The</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="Senate">Senate</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="again">again</span> <span word="dropped">dropped</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="passing">passing</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="bill">bill</span> <span word="containing">containing</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="renewable">renewable</span> <span word="fuels">fuels</span> <span word="standard">standard</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="size">size</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nation">nation</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ethanol">ethanol</span> <span word="industry">industry</span>.” <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Senate">Senate</span> “<span word="again">again</span> <span word="dropped">dropped</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>”?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="Senate">Senate</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pass">pass</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bill">bill</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="bill">bill</span> <span word="containing">containing</span> <span word="blah">blah</span> <span word="blah">blah</span> <span word="blah">blah</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="size">size</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="America">America</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ethanol">ethanol</span> <span word="industry">industry</span>, <span word="etc">etc</span>., <span word="etc">etc</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gist">gist</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="insofar">insofar</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="argument">argument</span> <span word="goes">goes</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Senate">Senate</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="supposed">supposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pass">pass</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="Failing">Failing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="consequence">consequence</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="dear">dear</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mistake">mistake</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Senate">Senate</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Again">Again</span> <span word="dropped">dropped</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>” <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="repeat">repeat</span> <span word="offense">offense</span>. <span word="Apparently">Apparently</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Senate">Senate</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="opportunity">opportunity</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pass">pass</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bill">bill</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="dropped">dropped</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="again">again</span>.</p><p><span word="Perhaps">Perhaps</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Senate">Senate</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="internal">internal</span> <span word="disagreement">disagreement</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="bill">bill</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Senate">Senate</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="reasons">reasons</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="passing">passing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bill">bill</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="concern">concern</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="present">present</span>. <span word="Our">Our</span> <span word="concern">concern</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="present">present</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="focused">focused</span> <span word="solely">solely</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> “<span word="dropping">dropping</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span>”.</p><p><span word="Dropping">Dropping</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="borrowed">borrowed</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="sports">sports</span>, <span word="any">any</span> <span word="sports">sports</span> <span word="involving">involving</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="playing">playing</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="basketball">basketball</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="gathers">gathers</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="dribbling">dribbling</span> (<span word="bouncing">bouncing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="floor">floor</span>) <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="distance">distance</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="floor">floor</span> <span word="again">again</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="shoot">shoot</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="pass">pass</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="teammate">teammate</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="drop">drop</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="floor">floor</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="catch">catch</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="again">again</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="violation">violation</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="does">does</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="referee">referee</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="blow">blow</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="whistle">whistle</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="terminate">terminate</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="play">play</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="hands">hands</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="awarded">awarded</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opposing">opposing</span> <span word="team">team</span>. <span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="resumes">resumes</span>.</p>
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