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What do you usually say, depending on the context and depending if it's US or UK English?

wait in line or queue

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Waiting line? Or wait in line? Either way, in BE we queue. – Roaring Fish Oct 2 '12 at 11:55
Edited post with Roaring Fish and Mitch's recommendation – João Paulo Oct 2 '12 at 12:12
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But whether in the UK or the US, the branch of mathematics that deals with the question of how quickly things waiting in lines get to the front is called queueing theory and not *lining-up theory. – Peter Shor Oct 2 '12 at 12:34

4 Answers

up vote 2 down vote accepted

In the UK, people say queue. See this: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/queue_1?q=queue

That link also states "UK (US line)".

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up vote 6 down vote

In US English, the thing is:

a line

('waiting line' is not used).

To be on it is

to wait in line

To add to it is:

to get in line

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In New York, I have heard a dialect variation: one waits "on line." The perception of the wait may be lessened if one surfs online while waiting on line. – rajah9 Oct 2 '12 at 16:36
up vote 4 down vote

queue (UK) I never "wait in line". I always "queue".

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And in the US, I "wait in line". It is just a "line" never called a "waiting line". Now I have heard of a "waiting room" and a "waiting list". – GEdgar Oct 2 '12 at 12:08
up vote 2 down vote

In the US it's always line. I haven't heard anyone say, waiting in queue or queued for food. The NOAD also marks it chiefly Brit.

That said, queue is pretty common when it comes to computers. And in some areas it may refer to a braid of hair worn at the back.

"Samurai shaved the tops of their heads and then gathered hair from the sides and back together into a queue. They applied oil to the queue before doubling it forward over the crown, then tying it at the point where it was doubled over."

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The hair thing is taken from French, where "queue" can mean either a plait (braid) of hair, or a tail (e.g. of a dog). – Suke Oct 2 '12 at 12:50
Plenty of people say "queue for food." google.ca/… – Merk Oct 3 '12 at 6:27
@Merk not in the US, AFAIK. – Noah Oct 3 '12 at 6:43

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