ride on someone's coattails
idiom

- to benefit from someone else's success; to use someone else's success as a means to achieve one's own.

- when you’re on the coattails of someone else, you’re enjoying success because of the association. Often, the success is not earned.

- to have one's success dependent on that of someone else.

Free Dictionary, Vocabulary Com, Collins Dictionary,  

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WORD ORIGIN

Coattails originally referred to the long flaps of a formal coat that extended down the back, often worn by men in the 18th and 19th centuries. These flaps were called "tails" and could metaphorically be "ridden" or held onto.

By the late 19th century, the phrase began to take on a figurative meaning. The idea was that someone could figuratively “ride” on the coattails of a person ahead of them, being pulled along by their momentum or influence. It suggested a sense of dependency or benefiting from association with someone more powerful or successful.

The term gained traction in politics, particularly in reference to elections. If a popular candidate for a high office (such as president) attracted votes that helped candidates for lower offices from the same party, those candidates were said to have “ridden on the coattails” of the more prominent figure.

Today, the phrase is used more broadly to describe any situation where someone benefits from another’s hard work, reputation, or achievements. It often carries a slightly negative connotation, implying a lack of independent effort or merit.

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COATTAILER EXTRAORDINAIRE!

Born into the high aristocracy, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754–1838) history's most shameless opportunist, served every French regime from Louis XVI to Louis-Philippe with equal enthusiasm and zero loyalty.

He served as chief advisor to the French Revolution, then Napoleon, then the monarchy that overthrew Napoleon, then the next monarchy - each time convincing everyone he'd been secretly on their side all along.  While serving as Napoleon's foreign minister, he secretly took bribes from other nations to work against France's interests. When caught, he convinced Napoleon it was all part of a brilliant plan to gather intelligence. Napoleon, who once called him "dung in a silk stocking," kept him on anyway.

Talleyrand's genius was convincing each new regime that they needed his expertise from serving the previous regime - which he had invariably helped topple. He died wealthy, respected, and in bed - perhaps his greatest achievement given how many of his contemporaries met the guillotine.

His LinkedIn profile would have had these headings:


- Catholic Bishop of Autun (1788-1791)
- Revolutionary leader and church reformer (1789-1791)
- Self-exiled diplomat in England (1792-1796)
- Foreign Minister of the Directory (1797-1799)
- Foreign Minister under Napoleon's Consulate (1799-1804)
- Foreign Minister of Napoleon's Empire (1804-1807)
- Vice-Grand Elector of the Empire (1807-1814)
- Head of the Provisional Government that deposed Napoleon (1814)
- Foreign Minister of the restored Bourbon monarchy (1814-1815)
- Ambassador to London under Louis-Philippe (1830-1834)

His secret? As he put it himself: "I never betray anyone in advance."

Sources: The Atlantic, The Britannica, Wikipedia, Napoleon.org

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

attach oneself to, bask in (reflected) glory, bask in the limelight, be carried along, benefit by association, benefit from (others' work, someone else's success), benefit without contributing, benefiting indirectly, capitalize on, cash in on, catch a ride, climb on the bandwagon, climb the ladder on someone else's back, COATTAIL RIDE, dependence advantage, draft behind, exploit (others' contributions), exploiting momentum, feed off success, follow in someone's footsteps (in the wake, suit), following triumph, freeload (on others' efforts), gaining advantage, get a free ride (a leg up from), grab onto the coattails, hang on (someone's coattails, someone's shirttails), hitch a ride, jump on the bandwagon, leech off (others' work), leverage (someone's success), leveraging influence, live in someone's shadow, live off (someone else's sweat), milk someone's success, mooch (on someone's labour), opportunistic gain, parasitize (on someone's hard work), piggyback (on others' achievements), profit by proxy, profit from others' work, reap the benefits, ride along, ride in someone's shadow, ride shotgun, ride someone's coattails, ride the gravy train (the success, ride the wave), sail in someone's wake, sponge (off, on others' efforts), stand on the shoulders of giants, surf the wave, tag along (with), take advantage (of someone's efforts, someone's success), take credit, thrive on another's efforts, trade on another's name, trail behind, use as a springboard (a stepping stone), walk in someone's footsteps

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“The career of Talleyrand—perhaps the greatest COATTAILER in history—is absolutely fascinating to read about.”

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THANKS to Gloria, for suggesting today's OWAD.

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