Queue Has Four Silent Letters and Means a Tail
A queue is a line of waiting people. It is famous for having the same pronunciation with or without its last four letters.
A queue is a line of people or vehicles waiting their turn. It is often called the only English word that sounds the same if you delete its last four letters, and the joke is close to true. The spelling survives because it is French and untouched: *queue* means a tail, from Latin *cauda*. The word is chiefly British; American English says *line*. In computing a queue is a first-in, first-out data structure, borrowing the same fairness rule.
- A waiting line. *Join the queue.*
- To wait in line. *Queue up.*
- A data structure. *A print queue.*
- Line — the American word. *Stand in line.*
- Latin — *cauda*, a tail. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | queue | A queue. |
| Plural | queues | Queues. |
| Verb | queue | Queue up. |
| Participle | queuing | Queuing. |
| French | queue | A tail. |
- The queue stretched round the corner.Waiting.
- Please queue here.Verb.
- The print queue is full.Computing.
Queue and line compared
- Queue — British and Commonwealth usage
- Line — American usage; *stand in line*, *wait in line*
- On line — a New York variant of in line
- Queue jumping — cutting in, a serious social offence in Britain
- FIFO — first in, first out, the computing rule
French *queue*, a tail, from Latin *cauda*. English used it first for a plait of hair hanging behind.
Why does queue have four silent letters?
Because English borrowed the French spelling unchanged, and French queue means a tail.
Is queue British or American?
Chiefly British. American English uses line for people waiting, though queue is standard in computing everywhere.