I swore in front of Dan. We were talking about Monty Python, and I wanted to tell him about John Cleese’s use of the word “fuck” at Graham Chapman’s funeral. It was the perfect opportunity, because I wasn’t swearing myself, simply quoting someone else. I could have said “the f-word”, but I didn’t.

I’d been holding back for a while. I don’t swear in front of someone until they do it first, the way I don’t use the Lord’s name in vain around Christians until they do. I usually let the other person go first, to guage their personalities and adapt. I think Dan was the same way though, and he was holding back. Like waiting for the other person in a relationship to break wind, someone, sooner or later, has to be first.

Dan swears in front of me too now. Nothing vulgar or excessive, but it’s good to know that clean-cut Dan has a hard edge too him.