Hand to God

[Garson O'Toole]

> On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 10:52 AM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
>> Influenced by "(sitting on) the right hand of God"?

Wilson wrote:
> Isn't that "sitting _at_ ..."?
>
> Or is _at_ only the Catholic usage?

GB does show many instances of "sitting on" used in this phrase in a
religious context. (Checking relative frequency or associations with a
religious denomination is trickier, and I have not tried.) GB also
shows the phrase in a comedic context:

Tynan right & left: plays, films, people, places and events
Kenneth Tynan - 1967  (Google Snippet view)

There were periods, especially in the second half, when one sensed an
ominous coldness settling on the house; the audience, one felt, was
sitting on its hands, white Mr Newley was sitting on the right hand of
God.

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