When you hear the statement ‘first come, first serve’, what exactly comes to mind? This statement is mostly used when there is a need for order and is used as a means to determine how things are to be done.
This is because sometimes, in determining who to select to be a beneficiary of something either the most qualified is selected or the person who makes hay while the sun shines and comes early.
It could also be the first person who comes and is the most qualified to be the beneficiary of that role or opportunity. If you are putting out an announcement but you don’t want to use the phrase ‘First come, first serve’, what other ways can you say this?
In this article, we will be shedding light on fifteen (15) other ways to say ‘First come, first serve’, with explanations and suitable examples.
What to Say Instead of ‘First Come, First Serve.’
- Starting with the first to arrive
- Starting with the person that meets all the requirements.
- One after the other
- In order of arrival
- The bird that comes earlier will get the worm
- In sequential order
- From the first to the last
- In progressive order
- First in, first out
- In the right order
- From top to bottom
- On the trot
- Going in turn
- Line by line
- According to the first arrival
Starting With The First To Arrive
Instead of simply saying ‘First come, first serve’, you use this alternative ‘Starting with the first to arrive.’ The beautiful thing about this alternative is that it can be used on its own or it can be used as the beginning of a sentence.
It drives home the point that you are trying to make which is that you will begin attending to those that arrive first. It could also mean that the items, roles, or opportunities are limited and only the first to arrive will be the core beneficiaries.
- ‘How do you know who to choose for this project?’
- ‘We will make our selection starting with the first to arrive.’
- ‘Okay. Thanks for the update.’
Starting With The Person That Meets All The Requirements
This is another way to say ‘First come, first serve’, and it refers to the fact there is an opportunity or role which is at stake. Thus, the first person who shows up to meet all the requirements will be the first person to be attended to.
This is mostly effective when you wish to put the people involved on their toes and make the process faster and easier for you.
For instance, when a human resource manager puts out a notice that the first person with the correct portfolio will get the job, it completely explains the saying, ‘Starting with the person that meets all requirements.’
- ‘I believe that starting with the person that meets all the requirements will save us a lot of stress and trouble.’
- ‘I think so too.’
One After The Other
Instead of simply saying ‘First come, first serve’, you can use the suitable alternative ‘One after the other.’ Although it is a generic use of the term ‘First come, first serve’, it still has the same meaning.
Let’s say that the person using the statement is addressing a group of people who are already standing in line according to who first arrived, then this will be most suitable.
Also, if you are using it in the context of instruction, then it can also serve as a way to give out instructions. For example, you can say, ‘Please arrange yourselves according to how you arrived, we will be taking it one after the other.’
- ‘Since you guys are already standing in line according to who first arrived, we will just go one after the other.’
- ‘Great idea.’
In Order Of Arrival
This is one of the closest alternatives to ‘First come, first serve’, that one can use. It simply indicates that you will attend to the people according to who arrives first.
Most times, when this phrase is used, it means that you intend to get there early and start attending to the guests according to their order of arrival.
This can be used in a formal setting, especially when sending out instructions through the mail. For instance, the email can go thus, ‘We will be conducting the interview in order of arrival, and after the first hundred people, no more individuals will be interviewed.’
- ‘Please ensure you come early ’cause we start attending to guests in order of arrival.’
- ‘What time?’
- ‘Let’s say 9:30 am’
The Bird That Comes Earliest Will Get The Worm
This alternative statement was culled from the saying, ‘The early bed gets the fattest worms’, which means that the best of whatever is been served will go to the person who comes early.
Also, if there is only one ‘worm’ to be gotten, then it is the first person that will likely get it. This phrase is also mostly suitable if used in an informal setting as it will likely get those who hear it laughing.
- ‘The bird that comes earliest will get the worm, so ensure not to lag behind.’
- ‘Ooh, exciting!’
In Sequential Order
The idea behind this alternative is that the order that will be followed in executing whatever needs to be done will be done in sequence. When something is done in sequence, it usually follows a certain ascending or descending order.
Whichever order arrives first will be started with. For instance, if the participants were given numbers, the organizers could decide to start whichever number arrives first and go from there.
- ‘We will be attending to you guys in sequential order depending on who arrives first.’
- ‘Great!’
From the first to the last
This alternative statement is quite straightforward as it signifies that the order will start from whoever arrives first or takes the first action to the last person.
It is another great alternative to the statement ‘First come, first serve,’ because it uses clear terms to communicate that the first person to arrive will be attended to.
It can be used exactly as it is or can be combined in flexible ways to make various sentence structures. Nevertheless, regardless of the sentence structure, it still passes the same message of ‘First come, first serve.’
- ‘We are going to be working with this order – from the first person to arrive to the last’
- ‘Great plan. It will help prevent any confusion or complaint.’
In Progressive Order
As simple as it is, it is one of the great alternatives to the statement ‘First come, first serve’, as it shows that the order that will be followed will be progressive.
Progressive order is a generic term that symbolizes that the order will start in a way the organizers deem progressive. It is then left for the organizers to determine what the progression they want is from the first to arrive.
- ‘To ensure clarity and speed, we will be executing all these in progressive order.’
- ‘Noted.’
First In, First Out
This alternative simply symbolises that if you come in first then you will be attended to the first so that you can leave first. It just lets the participants know that the earlier you come, the earlier you can go.
This serves as a means to motivate the participants who wish to leave early and do other things to come early.
- ‘You know that the rule is first in, first out, so if you wish to get home early, ensure to come on time.’
- ‘Oh great, if I come early, I’ll get to attend to the other businesses of the day.’
In the right order
When someone says that they want something to be done in the right order, does it mean the same thing as ‘First come, first serve’?
Well, if that right order means that they will start from the first person to arrive and follow up like that, then it probably means the same thing.
- ‘I suggest that this should be done in the right order so that no one will have any reason to complain.’
- ‘What order is that?’
- ‘From the first person to arrive.’
From top to bottom
Another way to say ‘First come, first serve’ is to say ‘From top to bottom.’ This shows that you intend to go in an orderly fashion starting from the top and going down.
When you say that you are going from top to bottom, it is assumed that the top represents the first person to arrive, then the last persons will then be those at the bottom.
This could mean that a list (i.e. an attendance) has been written according to order of arrival which can now be used to start from top to bottom.
- ‘I think that it will be advisable to move from top to bottom while sharing the souvenir.’
- ‘Great idea, another way of saying first come, first serve.’
On The Trot
In this context, ‘on the trot’ means to execute something in quick succession. This continuously means that you will follow the participants as they follow each other in time or order.
It is a suitable alternative to use when you don’t want to say ‘First come, first serve.’ It is mostly a slang used to signify that you would go in certain order that involves starting with the first person to arrive on the scene.
- ‘We are definitely going on the trot with this one, so that it can be easy.’
- ‘Good thinking.’
Going In Turn
Another way to express that you would be going in turn is to say that you will take it turn by turn. It is an informal way to say that you will attend to each person when it gets to their turn.
This generally lets the participants know that there is an order for whatever has to be done, and the order will go by whose turn it is so that no one will be passed over or pushed to the side.
- ‘This should not be difficult cause we will be going in turn.’
- ‘That’s right.’
Line By Line
When you use the alternative line by line, it means that the line is arranged in accordance with who arrives first. That way you simply go line by line without always asking who arrived first or last.
It could also mean that someone has taken the pain of arranging that line according to how the individuals arrived to make the execution process easier for the next person.
- ‘I believe that since the line is arranged, the best next thing to do is to go line by line.’
- ‘That should make the execution process easier then.’
- ‘Exactly my point.’
According To the First Arrival
This is also another suitable alternative to ‘First come, first serve’ as it signifies that you will go according to the person who arrives first.
It could be used as a form of ultimatum to let those involved know that if they do not show up in time, only the first people/person to arrive will be attended to.
It is quite simple and straight to the point, and can also be used as part of a sentence.
- ‘This should not be difficult, and if you wish to be attended to just be aware that it will be according to the first arrival.’
- ‘Duly noted.’
In Conclusion
Now that you’ve come to the end of this article, you should be enlightened on the various ways to say ‘First come, first serve.’
This way, whether you are putting out a memo or addressing a group of people, you can easily express yourself without consistently using basic terms or repeating the same phrase.
While we have managed to compile some of the most similar alternatives you can use in place of ‘First come, first serve’, I’m sure there are others that we’ve probably not thought of which you may know.
So feel free to share your ideas with us in the comment section below!
