word choice - "On the one/other hand" vs. "on the one/other side"


There are two slightly different expressions which do mean the exact same thing, these are:




  • On the one hand [...]. on the other hand [...]

  • On the one side [...]. on the other side [...]



Is using side here correct? I'm sure the hand version is tremendously widespread, whereas the side version just shows up from time to time.


My English teacher always told me "'on the one side..., and on the other...' does not exist!", however I do see it sometimes.


So is it grammatical or not?



Answer



It's not a matter of "legal" or not, but hand is far more common in OP's construction...


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I doubt it's meaningful to explain this as anything other than an accident of linguistic history and idiomatic usage - people tend to repeat the form they hear most often.


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