Restaurateur, small business owner, or otherwise, it’s time to get this phrase right.
The correct expression is “First come, first served,” as in “the first to arrive will be the first to have service provided.”
There’s a line at the deli counter, and orders are being taken in an organized fashion. Customer service has a long list of callers, and each will be answered in the sequence in which they came in. It’s not the squeaky wheel (or loudest voice) who gets the attention, but the one that showed up or reached out first. Good system? Absolutely.
But systems are only as powerful as the language used to explain them. At least that’s my argument.
Of course, spelling and grammar aren’t always everyone’s strong suits. Here’s a historical overview of this expression’s correct and incorrect use:
(Remember, just because you see it written down—on the internet or elsewhere—that doesn’t mean that the grammar of what you’re looking at is correct.)
So, there’s your answer. When it comes to the question of “First Come, First Serve” or “First Come, First Served,” the answer should include the “d.”
But a new question lingers…
How do you punctuate “first come, first served”?
Comma? No comma? Hyphens? Oh my!
As you’ve noticed in my write-up here, there should be a comma between the two parts of this phrase: “first come, first served.”
Should there be hyphens? Usually not. However, if this phrase is being used as an adjective phrase—as in “orders are handled on a first-come, first-served basis” (“first-come, first-served” acting as an adjective for the noun “basis” in this case)—hyphens absolutely should be put to use.
Do you have remaining use questions about “first come, first serve” or “first come, first served”? If so, let me know. If not, good luck with your wait times and happy writing, folks!
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