Seemed a fair enough comment on the part of John of Hull, the humour took the edge off it. Quite goodnatured really. And gargoyle does rather ask for it. I can't imagine that he'd have had any complaint about it.

I think it may be that insulting each other in that kind of way is seen as a more normal way of social interaction here than across the Atlantic.

Australia seems to play by similar rules, or maybe a bit rougher. I quote from a previous post I made one time:

There's the story about the cricket tour in Austalia back in the 30s at a time when "bastard" as an insult was a lot more serious in England than it is now. The English captain complains to the Australian captain that one of the Ozzies has called one of his men "a bastard".

The Australian captain apologises, and calls his team together. "Now which one of you bastards was it called that English bastard a bastard?" he asks."