ridden the coattails
Exploited another's success
To have ridden the coattails of someone is to have benefited from their success or popularity without contributing much yourself.
The image is of grabbing onto the long back panels of another person's coat and being pulled along: He's ridden the coattails of his famous father his whole career.
Usually carries a note of criticism—the person attached hasn't earned their position independently.
- piggybackingRiding on another's back
- free rideBenefit without cost
- relianceState of needing support
- parasitismOne benefits, one suffers
- shadowingFollowing to observe
exploitation · hitchhiking · patronage · capitalizing · networking · maneuvering · borrowing · social climbing · climbing the ladder · recognition · name dropping · bandwagon · fame · mentorship · nepotism · alliances · self-interest · dependency
ridden the coattailsself-made
Successful through own efforts
earned one's stripes · paid one's dues · bootstrapped · pulled oneself up by one's bootstraps · climbed the ladder
ridden the coattailstaken the initiative
Acted proactively without waiting
pioneered · trailblazed · hustled · grinded
ridden, riders, rides, riding, coattail, coattails, coats, coated, coating