"He must have been a bold laugher," says Boswell "who would have
ventured to tell Dr Johnson of any of his particularities."
But when a little girl asked him "Pray, Dr Johnson, why do you make
such strange gestures?"
"From bad habit" he replied. "Do you, my dear, take care to guard
against bad habits."
Had the questioner been some distinguished man, the reply would more
likely have been: "Why, Sir, because I choose to, and there's an end
on't."