ProverbWisdomEnglish originc. 1390

First come, first served

Meaning: Opportunities go to those who arrive early.

Origin: Chaucer has it in the prologue to The Wife of Bath's Tale (c. 1390): whoever comes first to the mill, grinds first. Farmers brought their grain to the miller and waited their turn, and the rule of the queue has kept the saying useful ever since.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, and Polish

  • French: Premier arrivé, premier servi (literally: First arrived, first served)
  • Spanish: El que primero llega, primero come (literally: The first to arrive eats first)
  • German: Wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst (literally: He who comes first, mills first)
  • Italian: Chi prima arriva meglio alloggia (literally: Whoever arrives first gets the best lodging)
  • Dutch: Wie het eerst komt, het eerst maalt (literally: Whoever comes first grinds first)
  • Polish: Kto pierwszy, ten lepszy (literally: Whoever's first is better off)

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