on the side of the angels

Idioms  

1. Supporting the good side, as in Whatever you may think of him, on important issues he's usually on the side of the angels. This expression was coined by Benjamin Disraeli in 1864 in a speech about Darwin's theory that man is descended from apes: “The question is this: Is man an ape or an angel? Now I am on the side of the angels.” Before long it was extended to broader use, specifically to the moral view.

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Example Sentences

These learned societies are on the side of the angels, but there’s a problem: Research shows that dogs do, in fact, experience dominance.

From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2021

“He always worked on the side of the angels and now he is with them,” Pelosi said.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 20, 2020

For one thing, the majority of Americans are still on the side of the angels.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2020

Facebook is the platform, not some invented knockoff like Faceplace or Mybook, which makes the show feel at times like an extended pitch for a company not always seen on the side of the angels.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2018

I hope I am not doing the author a disservice in describing this as a thoroughly wholesome book, well on the side of the angels.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 158, 1920-01-28 by Various