vent figure
n.— «Klein, who lives in Nanticoke, is a trained ventriloquist. She and her puppets, or “vent figures” as they are called in the trade, perform for kids and adults throughout the area.» —“A woman’s love of ventriloquism” by Kristen Gaydos Citizens’ Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) Sept. 1, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Have you ever googled your own name and found someone else who goes by the very same moniker? There’s a word for that: googleganger. Plus, the language of hobbyists and enthusiasts: If you’re a beekeeper, perhaps you call yourself a...
Taylor in Casper, Wyoming, carefully prepared her three-year-old son to meet his great grandparents for the first time. He misunderstood the great, and calls them Grandma and Grandpa Grape. Naturally, so does the rest of the family. Grant observes...