wall dog
n.— «Before moving to New York two years ago, Mr. Lindahl worked as an itinerant sign painter in cities around the country, picking up trade secrets from “wall dogs”—old men who spent their lives suspended above the city, painting larger-than-life images on building walls.» —“For a Faded Tradition, a Fresh New Coat” by Steven Kurutz New York Times Oct. 22, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Imagine telling someone how to get to your home, but without using the name of your street, or any other street within ten miles. Could you do it? We take street names for granted, but these words are useful for far more, like applying for a job or...
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...