first thing

Idioms  

1. Before anything else; without delay. For example, Tom was supposed to call him first thing in the morning. [Late 1500s] Also see under first and foremost; first off.

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Example Sentences

The first thing the boy said when he entered Shady Glen Retirement Home was “This place smells like death!”

From Literature

First thing in the morning I’d follow Ma and Togbe, my grandfather, even when they tried to shoo me off to school.

From Literature

The first thing was to gather some tools together.

From Literature

For instance, he discusses at length the practice of producing “morning pages,” a discipline popularized by the writer Julia Cameron that involves filling three or four pages first thing each day with whatever thoughts come to mind.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Wow, I didn’t expect you to beef with Leo first thing in the morning,” Pua says.

From Literature