riding on the coattalis

Ｆｌｏｗｅｒｓ ｆｏｒ Ａｌｇｅｒｎｏｎの主人公、Charlieに脳の手術をした医者のStraussとNemurが手術の経過についての議論をしているのをCharlieは立ち聞きしました。その描写の中に出てきた表現を取り上げます。
The argument went on that way with Strauss saying that Nemur had his eye on the Chair of Psychology at Hallston, and Nemur saying that Strauss was riding on the coattalis of his psychological research.
"riding on the coattalis" は慣用句に違いありません。辞書で意味を調べます。
・McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:.ride on someone's coattails and hang on someone's coattails: Fig. to make one's good fortune or success on the strength of someone else's. (Also with else, as in the examples.) Bill isn't very creative, so he rides on John's coattails. Some people just have to hang on somebody else's coattails.
・Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms: ride somebody's coattails also ride the coattails of somebody: 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 Massachusetts.
先日選挙があったばかりなので政治家の世襲問題とか芸能人の二世が多いのが頭に浮かびましたが、虎の威を借る狐の表現とも共通するところがありますね。