first come, first served

Cultural  

1. Those who are first to arrive will be the first to be waited on.

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first come, first served Idioms  

1. Those who precede others will have their needs attended to earliest, as in So many people showed up that we may not have enough food to go around, so let it be “first come, first served.” The idea is very old, but the first recorded use of this precise phrase was in 1545. Also see early bird catches the worm.

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Example Sentences

There are also guided dam tours available, first come, first served.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2024

Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis, without a lottery.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2024

Tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics are on sale to everyone across the world, on a "first come, first served" basis.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2024

Some member countries support reviewing applications on a first come first served basis, which would put China first, while others want to focus on the best application.

From Reuters • Jul. 14, 2023

No breaking ranks, no rushing the boats, no first come first served, no devil take the hindmost.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan