"Pisser against a Wall": An Echo of Divination in Biblical Hebrew

The phrase "pisser against a wall," is an implicit metaphor, an implicit simile, or a metonym. Scholars have suggested interpretations that point to each of these three trope classes. Yet, when they bother to say anything at all in this regard, most scholars simply call it a "metaphor." It is considered to be implicit because only the source is stated; the target is only implied. This subordinate metaphor/simile generally means that some man is no better than a dog that urinates against a wall. With only the source avail able and a bare minimum of background information, it is very difficult to be certain if the phrase is an implicit metaphor, simile, or metonym. Here, Smith discusses the occurrences of the trope in Samuel and Kings and outlines various scholarly interpretations of the trope. She also proposes a new interpretation that "pisser against a wall" is a person who hopes for progeny.