Sounds like to me he's making a play on your wife. Bringing her flowers and telling her what a woman she is. Seems like trying to make you look bad or something.
I would tell him straight up if I was in your situation that if that was the case that I would rip that ugly thing he calls a head off his shoulders and spit down his neck.
Then if he gets real defensive by saying something like I was just being friendly and joking with my british style humor, tell him that you was joking too kinda,maybe and he took it to personal but to always remember what you just said in case he ever tought about going beyond just friends with your wife.
the stone one,
StoneWall