Learn English – ‘I’m a big fan of your beauty’ possible

word-usage

I'm a big fan of yours

simply means that I'm a fan of whatever you are known for.

So, if you are Serena W, I'm talking about your mastery on tennis. If you are Justin, I'm fan of your art of singing.

Now, imagine a beautiful actress who knows little about acting. While she looks gorgeous, her acting falls below expectation. I admire her beauty and not her acting. May I say…

I'm a big fan of her beauty (no sarcasm intended)

Can we be a fan of such abstract nouns, human qualities/characteristics?

A few more examples:

I'm a big fan of your intelligence
I'm a big fan of your anger (- yeah, goes true in case of Hulk!)
I'm a big fan of your romance
I'm a big fan of your confidence

and so on…

Best Answer

You can, although it is not considered "proper" English. I'm a big fan of yours is a common English expression. If you are more specific, it comes off as rude, or even sarcastic (as you mentioned). It is like saying you only appreciate certain characteristics the person possesses, rather than them as a whole. However, if you were to say "I'm envious of her beauty", or simply "She's quite beautiful", then it remains a compliment (as it was intended). These instances work since they were not originally expressions that offered larger compliments before being changed.