Riding coattails

Riding coattails

Riding coattails is a metaphor that refers to the way in which lower level or uninspiring celebrities can often reach stardom through their ties to another, more popular and successful celebrity. This can often be used as a generic phrase for anyone that hangs onto another person as they forge ahead, without effort from the hanger-on.


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  • coattails — also coat tail, c.1600, from COAT (Cf. coat) + TAIL (Cf. tail). In 17c., to do something on one s own coattail meant at one s own expense. Meaning power of one person, especially in politics, is from 1848 (in a Congressional speech by Abraham… …   Etymology dictionary

  • ride someone's coattails — ride (someone s) coattails to use your connection with someone successful to achieve success yourself. I don t think she would get promoted without riding her boss s coattails. My opponent is riding the coattails of the popular governor of… …   New idioms dictionary

  • ride coattails — ride (someone s) coattails to use your connection with someone successful to achieve success yourself. I don t think she would get promoted without riding her boss s coattails. My opponent is riding the coattails of the popular governor of… …   New idioms dictionary

  • on one's coattails — phrasal : in a state of dependence on another for assistance a lazy man still riding on his father s coattails : with the help of another; especially : with the benefit of another s political prestige congressmen riding into office on the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • ride on one's coattails — {v. phr.} To succeed in a certain endeavor by attaching oneself to the greater weight of another person or corporate body. * / We will never get our Ph.D. program approved on our own, said the head of the modern dance department, but we might… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • ride on one's coattails — {v. phr.} To succeed in a certain endeavor by attaching oneself to the greater weight of another person or corporate body. * / We will never get our Ph.D. program approved on our own, said the head of the modern dance department, but we might… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • ride\ on\ one's\ coattails — v. phr. To succeed in a certain endeavor by attaching oneself to the greater weight of another person or corporate body. We will never get our Ph.D. program approved on our own, said the head of the modern dance department, but we might succeed… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • Survivor: Marquesas — Genre Reality television Winner Vecepia Towery (4 3) No. of episodes 13 N …   Wikipedia

  • List of political metaphors — This is a list of common political metaphors. Relating to the executive* eminence grise: literally, grey man, from French. Colloquially, the power behind the throne. An official close to the president or monarch who has so much power behind the… …   Wikipedia

  • Coattail effect — The coattail effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election. For example, in the United States, the party of a victorious presidential candidate will often win… …   Wikipedia

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