queue up

Meaning

'Queue up' is a phrasal verb meaning to form or stand in a line while waiting for something. It is primarily used in British, Australian, and South African English, whereas American English speakers prefer 'line up'. It is common in casual and travel situations.

Examples

• We had to queue up for nearly an hour just to get a glimpse of the crown jewels.

  We had to queue up for nearly an hour just to get a glimpse of the crown jewels.

• Please queue up in an orderly fashion before boarding the ferry.

  Please queue up in an orderly fashion before boarding the ferry.

• Tourists began to queue up outside the bakery long before it even opened.

  Tourists began to queue up outside the bakery long before it even opened.

• There is no need to queue up if you have already checked in online.

  There is no need to queue up if you have already checked in online.

• As soon as the gates opened, everyone started to queue up at the security checkpoint.

  As soon as the gates opened, everyone started to queue up at the security checkpoint.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We had to make a queue to buy tickets.

  ✓ We had to queue up to buy tickets.

  While grammatically possible, native speakers almost always say 'queue up', 'stand in a queue', or 'wait in line' rather than 'make a queue'.

• ✗ Please queue up yourself behind that person.

  ✓ Please queue up behind that person.

  'Queue up' is an intransitive phrasal verb. You do not need to add a reflexive pronoun like 'yourself' after it.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The security guard asked us to ___ along the wall to keep the walkway clear.

  💡 To form a line (mainly British English).

  Show answer

  queue up

• I hate having to ___ for hours just to get into a popular museum.

  💡 Wait in a line.

  Show answer

  queue up