ProverbWisdom
German origin
German originWer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst
Meaning: Whoever arrives first gets served first.
Literally: He who comes first, mills first
Example: “Die Plätze werden nicht reserviert – wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst.” — Seats can't be reserved: first come, first served.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and Polish
English: First come, first served
French: Premier arrivé, premier servi (literally: First arrived, first served)
Spanish: El que primero llega, primero come (literally: The first to arrive eats 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)
Origin: Originally a legal rule for mills. The Sachsenspiegel, a German law book of the early 13th century, says that whoever comes to the mill first shall grind first.
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