The phrase 'in any case' appears to be a little bit inconsistent in two different uses, as in:
In any case
1 whatever the situation is or will be:
Traffic may be bad, but in any case we'll be there in time for dinner.
2 used for adding information to support a statement or make it clearer:
Nobody saw her on the train. In any case, she probably didn't have enough money for a ticket.
While I fully understand what it means in the first example, the second example, in which 'in any case' serves a logical and connecting purpose, makes little sense to me.
Is it possible to interprete 'in any case' as 'in any situation' or 'in spite of other considerations' and still be able to understand the second example?
Or perhaps the second use of 'in any case' has lost its original meaning during sense development and thereby become distinct from the first?
Any reply'd be appreciated.
