Thread: рукой подать

Originally Posted by RedFox

In general, подать is «to give or move something to some person on his/her request or demand», and I see no reason why that verb is used here.

Then you Russians use the phrase anyway but in fact just don't know what подать means?

Originally Posted by wonlon

Then you Russians use the phrase anyway but in fact just don't know what подать means?

The verb «подать» for a single action (as a form of «подавать» for repeated actions) means “to hand in”, “to give” or “to pass”, of which “to pass” seems to me the closest equivalent in meaning. Compare: “Could you pass me the salt?” – «Можете (не могли бы Вы) подать мне соль?»
Since we can “hand in / give / pass” smth through somebody else, or by post, or in any other way from rather a distant place, the idiom includes the adverbial modifier of manner «рукой» (“with one’s hand / by hand”) to show the maximum proximity.