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

See Examples For:

first come, first served

Seating is first come, first served, but guests can purchase a reserved spot to guarantee a prime spot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Indoor seating is reserved at $25 a head, while the outdoor courtyard is first come, first served.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

The council said applications would be processed on a first come, first served basis and would close once all the money has been allocated.

From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2026

Letting agent Finders Keepers said it was "launching" its student accommodation at 09:00 GMT on Tuesday, with applications accepted on a "first come, first served" basis.

From BBC ● Nov. 26, 2024

Skeezie: Has that bozo who took our order never heard of first come, first served?

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

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