coattails effect
1
8.4
- noun
- /ˈkoʊteɪlz ɪˈfɛkt/
- Specialized
:
efecto de arrastre
- The coattails effect of the well-liked senator boosted the campaign efforts of local candidates significantly.
Examples
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During the election, the popular candidate had a strong coattails effect, helping fellow party members gain votes.
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A solid Obama win, or even the widely held impression that Obama is going to win, could have a bigger coattail effect this year than in past elections.
Blog text (15) -
What if he had a great coattails effect?
Blog text (16) -
I think both Hurricane Sandy and the reverse coattail effect from the senatorial race will help carry that one.
Blog text (19) -
Voter turnout for the local elections increased due to the coattails effect from the presidential candidate's popularity.
Synonyms
An advantage gained by being close to someone powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is a straightforward composition of 'coattails' (an advantage obtained by association with someone powerful) and 'effect' (a change produced by an action): it denotes the effect produced by riding someone else's popularity. Although 'coattails' is metaphorical, the combined meaning is predictable and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings.
Etymology
The noun coattails effect may come from the picture of someone holding the long back of a coat, the coattails, and being pulled along. So when a very popular candidate leads an election, other party members can be 'pulled along' and 'win' more votes, which is why the phrase means one person's popularity helps others succeed.