James Boswell, after whom “Boswell” is coined, was a Scot who moved to London in the 1760s. Boswell was a close friend and constant companion of Samuel Johnson, author of the first Dictionary of English. He diligently wrote down Johnson’s wisdom and witticisms in private and public conversations, and Johnson described Boswell by saying, “One would think the man had been hired to spy on me.” Boswell’s eventual book about Johnson is considered by many to be the template for the modern biography, and the eponym “Boswell” can be used for any faithful biographer.