On one of my Facebook groups there is a discussion going on about the phrase "I'm proud of you."
A small, but insistent, number of the participants are claiming that we should never use it because it is attempting to claim ownership of someone else's achievement, that you shouldn't say you are proud of someone because whatever was done THEY did it not you. This is, I'd say, specious nonsense. Absolutely no one is going to genuinely understand it that way. They might claim to but if they do it's just for the sake of causing an argument. The original poster suggested that "proud with" would be better in spite of the fact that this is not even remotely a common collocation in English. I pointed out that it was worse because if "proud of" is taken to mean you are claiming the achievement as yours then "proud with" would logically be claiming it belongs jointly to both of you.
Seriously, would anybody EVER take that meaning from someone saying to their kid, "I'm proud of you"?
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
While logic (My kind at least) tells me that the OP has a point, it is not used in that way. Ever.
Speaking of pride, there is a brand of bread called "Pilgrim's Pride." I thought pride was one of the sins for which a pilgrim could get burned at the stake, or if short on wood, hanged. Any pilgrims out there to verify this?
if "proud of" is taken to mean you are claiming the achievement as yours
How can that be the interpretation? I'm saying I'm proud of YOU - not of whatever activity or deed or outcome you performed/attained. I make no claim to any of those by being proud if you.
I have to admit, while I do use it, it sounds a little patronizing to me. I recently said that to someone who had a great promotion, but I hesitated before writing it.
