📖 Meaning
To attach oneself to someone famous or prestigious, thereby making one's own name more prominent. It describes gaining recognition through association with an already celebrated figure, like a lesser traveler riding the coattails of a noble steed. The idiom often carries a mildly ironic undertone about fame derived rather than earned.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian' (史记), in the 'Biographies of Bo Yi and Shu Qi' (伯夷列传), written during the Western Han dynasty. Sima Qian reflects that Bo Yi and Shu Qi, though virtuous, became even more renowned because Confucius praised them. He likewise notes that Yan Yuan, though a diligent scholar, achieved greater prominence because he followed Confucius, comparing such followers to those who cling to the tail of a fine steed and thereby travel farther. The metaphor likens an eminent person to a thousand-li horse whose fame rubs off on those associated with him.
💡 Example Usage
他之所以能成为知名学者，很大程度上是附骥名彰，借助导师的声望而闻名。
The reason he became a well-known scholar was largely that he rode the coattails of his mentor's fame to gain prominence.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 附骥名彰
- Pinyin: fù jì míng zhāng
- Literal Translation: attach to, fine steed, name, manifest
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4