Re: Differences in `ne` and `bp` line-breaking behavior

[Douglas McIlroy]

>> I invented .ne 55 years ago and have never heard a complaint about its
>> design before. It is not a conditional .bp, because that would case a
>> line break, which .ne never does, nor should.

> I know it does not behave like a conditional `bp` (that was my
> entire argument, after all). I have yet to see any explanation
> of the rationale behind that behavior, though.

Ah, it seems you missed one intended use of .ne: to forestall widows.
Such a .ne will appear in the middle of a paragraph, possibly even in
the middle of a sentence. If it caused a line break, it would create a
false paragraph.

Doug