first come, first served

idiom

variants or first come, first serve

—used to say that the people who arrive earliest get served or treated before the people who arrive later

The campsites are first come, first served, so we'd better get there early.

The campsites are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis.

"Aren't there any cookies left?" "Sorry—first come, first served."

Examples of first come, first served in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s also a signup sheet in the visitor center and all tours are first come, first served. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024

Sign-ups are first come, first serve and limited to 30 competitors. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2024

Back then, the seating was first come, first served. —Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 25 July 2024

The free tickets are first come, first serve at the door until the showings reach capacity. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2024