Would it not have been uncouth to swear as he does, especially gratuitously and to a young lady? Beyond the issue of his other coarseness & conceit.

It really confuses me about James Morland. Wouldn't he hear that talk and think his friend has a problem controlling his mouth? I figure if "d--" was a term JA didn't want to put directly in print, it wasn't "okay" in polite society. It seems that the Morlands were average folks but polite from the testimony of the book. James doesn't seem "corrupted" himself, but I don't understand how he's able to find John Thorpe some kind of chick magnet.