附骥尾

附驥尾

fùjìwěi

idiom

Meanings

1 to cling to a swift horse's tail
2 to ride on a great man's coattails to make one's name
3 humble phrase for benefiting from association with someone famous

Characters

thoroughbred, fast horse

Examples

这本论文集能收录拙作，实在是附骥尾。

Zhè běn lùnwén jí néng shōulù zhuōzuò, shízài shì fù jì wěi.

Having my humble piece included in this volume is really riding on the masters' coattails.

小演员跟着大牌一起宣传，难免有附骥尾之嫌。

Xiǎo yǎnyuán gēnzhe dàpái yìqǐ xuānchuán, nánmiǎn yǒu fù jì wěi zhī xián.

When a minor actor promotes alongside a big star, it's hard not to look like they're piggybacking on the fame.

能与诸位前辈同列，算是附骥尾了。

Néng yǔ zhūwèi qiánbèi tónɡ liè, suàn shì fù jì wěi le.

To be listed alongside these elders — I'm merely hitching a ride on their glory.

Tips

register

Classical, literary. Typically used self-deprecatingly: 'my success is just because I latched onto someone great.' From 史记's image of a fly on a fast horse's tail covering a thousand li.

Stroke Order

附 fù

骥 jì

尾 wěi