follow the bouncing ball

[unpakwon]

What is the following in red saying?

If you didn't use that sequence, you may never find out what else the little girl had for lunch because undisciplined questioning follows the bouncing ball.

Is it saying undisciplined questioning is like asking questions randomly or aimlessly?

Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

That's rather ambiguous. My first thought when I read "the bouncing ball" was of the little bouncing ball which goes from one word to the next on karaoke lyric screens or on cartoons or educational videos for children. That ball is anything but "undisciplined". It is very disciplined. It bounces carefully above the word which is being spoken.

An actual physical bouncing ball is a little less disciplined, I suppose, although I'm sure a physicist would tell you that how hight and fast it bounces is probably entirely predictable. From the rest of that sentence, though, I assume they are talking about a randomly bouncing ball.

 

[poorboy_9]

"the bouncing ball" -is very disciplined; "a bouncing ball" -random, unpredictable. (...from an 'American' speaker)

 

[Barb_D]

"the bouncing ball" -is very disciplined; "a bouncing ball" -random, unpredictable. (...from an 'American' speaker)

I can only hope that American speaker had more context than we do. Without context, this American speaker cannot agree with that statement.

 

[Tdol]

I assume that if the sequence of questions isn't followed, then the person will be asking questions in response to the unstructured answers the child gives, which may not get to the information desired.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd rather like to know what preceded the quote in post #1.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I wonder why someone didn't just ask her what she had for lunch.