n. A wall on which a person has hung their degrees, certificates, and awards, as well as photographs in which they appear with famous people.
2002
If you are one of those self-important Washingtonians who boast a grip-and-grin ego wall — lots of photos of yourself with assorted big shots — at least make sure the pictures aren't crooked.
2001
Now that she is a grandmother . . . she has replaced some of her comfy office chairs with a crib, a bassinet and other accouterments of designer infancy. Family photos abound. Playfully, Saban also maintains what she calls her Ego Wall: rows of pictures from her days as a model and disco singer with the improbable name of Flower.
1985 (earliest)
Just about everyone in official Washington, including most in the press corps, has at least one Ego Wall: pictures of himself with anyone famous. In Regan's sprawling home, there is one large room devoted to these icons of success. He proudly points out the many pictures of himself with the president: "There we are, playing golf at the Annenbergs'." "There I am giving the president a golf lesson."
A grip-and-grin (see the first citation) is a photograph that shows two people shaking hands and smiling at the camera. (It also refers to a photo of a contest or event winner smiling while receiving one of those huge, oversize checks.)