This morning, during an edit for a weekly newsletter I proofread, I came across this line:
Golfers will register to play on a first-come, first-serve basis.
My client’s organization is hosting a golf tournament in September where member businesses can get together, network, and have some fun out on the green. The sentence itself was fine—except for one small but important detail.
I changed it to:
Golfers will register to play on a first-come, first-served basis.
Why? Because the correct phrase is “first come, first served.”
Here’s the reasoning: The phrase means that the first person to arrive will be the first person served. “Served” here isn’t a verb but a past participle functioning as an adjective. Think of it as shorthand for this: The first to come will be the first to be served.
On the other hand, “first come, first serve” is a very common mistake—but it’s not what you actually want to say. Taken literally, it would mean that the first person who shows up has to serve everyone else. Not quite the intent for a golf tournament where the participants are expecting to schmooze it up and rub some elbows, not wait tables and don an apron.
This tiny example is a good reminder of why editing matters. Small word choices can completely change meaning. It’s also why certain mistakes, even when widely accepted in casual speech, don’t quite hold up in print.
So the next time you’re promoting an event, whether it’s a golf scramble, a pancake breakfast, or a product demo, remember that spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
I’ll leave you with this final reminder: Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone needs Editor Nancy.