I have been noticing this quite a lot lately. A lot of people are now saying “so I was on line at the post office and…” At first I generally think they were on the internet, but then it becomes clear that they were standing in a line of people. I don’t remember anyone saying this phrase for standing in a line until maybe a year or two ago. Is it that I just haven’t been paying attention all of these years or are these people just confusing the internet phrase? Can someone enlighten me about the origin of the phrase “on-line” when it refers to waiting in a line? Have any of you people been saying it all of your lives?
I have heard “in line” my whole life, but only recently have heard “on line”. But I hear it alot now. I think “on line” is replacing “in line”.
It’s regional. People from the northeastern U.S. say “wait on line.” People from other parts of the country say “wait in line.” The preference for “on” or “in” is a matter of usage, not logic.
I always thought it was a New York thing - I grew up in Washington, D.C., which I’ve always viewed as the southern end of the Northeast, and never heard anyone say they were waiting on line.'' I figured the popularity of Seinfeld’’ might have had something to do with the phrase spreading.
Waiting “on line” hasn’t hit us here in the Great Midwest. It just doesn’t sound right…I mean, are you waiting for your SDMB page to load or are you waiting for a double cheeseburger?
Another phrase I’ve heard is “in queue” for waiting “in line”.
I’ve haunted the tri-state area of PA, DE and NJ my whole life, and it’s only on TV that I hear ‘on-line’ (such as on line at the ticket window) .
Here, you are ‘in line’. And please, no butting in. (Which begs the question: If you say ‘wait on line’, and someone butts in…what do you say? “I’m was standing on-line at the amusement park when someone butted on.”…???)
It might be more New England or New York.
On line was the way we always said it here in New York. SWAG - When I was traveling in Europe, I noticed that Americans and Englishmen tended to line up for tickets; while others tended to mob and surrond the ticket seller. I suspect that at one time, when Tammany Hall was passing out whatever to their voters - mostly immigrants, they may have had painted a line to keep order, make it easier to count and keep track of who had gotten what. That would also explain why it is a New York and Northeast type phrase.
I’ve always said “on line.” I grew up in New Jersey. It is only when I moved to Chicago that people thought I was talking about the Internet.
If you’re trying to download a file from fileplanet you’ll be both in line and on line at the same time.
I always that “wating on line” was British usage and “in line” was American usage. I grew up in New England, now living in CA and don’t recall hearing “on line” in either place.
I dunno, I lived almost 18 years in VT, traveled extensively to NH, ME, MA, and CT, and NEVER heard ‘on line.’ In addition, I live in New York now (the Albany area) and still never hear anyone say it. I only hear it on TV or movies.
On a similar note, when watching Canadian TV programs I notice they use the term ‘line-up.’ I have never heard this term in the US before. Have I just not been paying attention? I have just always called it a line, not line-up. 'Line up 'was always used as a verb in places like elementary school,
“OK, kids, line up to go outside for recess.” and that sort of thing.
Born, raised and still living in NYC and I have heard on line and in line. They are interchangeable and just a matter of preference as Jeff Lichtman pointed out. I have used both without thinking or caring about it.
I agree that the term “on line” probably came from when lines were literally painted on the floor. Now a days we have velvet ropes and “take a number” so most places don’t need to paint lines but the phrase lives on. And now being on line is being discussed on-line too (the internet that is).
Now how did being connected to the internet become commonly know as “on-line”? I am guessing they originally meant they were “on the telephone line”.
I have never heard “line up” instead of line except as a refference to a Police line-up
Nope. Neither is “in line”. We say “queueing”.
As a Westerner who is marrying a girl from Brooklyn, let me line up with those who say that “on line” is a New York thing. My fiance always says waiting “on line,” and I thought it was unusual enough that one day I asked her about it. She was surprised that anyone said “in line,” but I explained to her that “in line” was the common usage I grew up with out West. She thought that was fairly novel. So I really think it is a NY thing.
Not to take it too far off topic, but I noticed something similar with the phrases “take it back” and “bring it back.” Whenever I am, say, returning something to the store, I say I’m “taking it back.” Whenever she says it, though, it’s “bringing it back.” For me, you take something for someone else but you bring something for yourself or you ask someone else to bring something for you. Does that make any sense? I don’t know how to describe it better, but that gives an idea of the word.
Anyway, I watched a lot of Martin Scorsese movies growing up, and always remembered his characters using the phrase “bring it back” when I thought the proper usage would be “take it back” (see especially Raging Bull). I had never encountered anyone who used that phrase, though, until my Brooklyn girlfriend. I think that usage must be a NY usage, too. Anyone else have any experience with this?
School children line up here. The rest of us form a queue.
My school in the Philippines had a sign that asked us to “fall in line”. Obviously it became “love” and then “lust” that we fell in.
[QUOTE=Boppy]
School children line up here. The rest of us form a queue.
[QUOTE]
Boppy I have heard line up used as a verb like bouv’s example but the only time I have head of a line up as a noun was as a Police line up. Unless I read bouv’s post wrong I thought that is what (s)he meant.
I’ve never heard “on-line” for being in a queue.
[QUOTE=NYR407]
[QUOTE=Boppy]
School children line up here. The rest of us form a queue.
No, you’re right and I’m wrong. I didn’t read his/her post properly.
B
Born and bred in Brooklyn. I’ve always said “on line”.
From Queens originally, and I’ve always said on line. My wife is from Philadelphia, and she says in line. I bet there is some dividing line in New Jersey about this.
I also pick the second paper or magazine off the stack, never the top. I never realized this was a New York thing until the Times mentioned it once. Do other New Yorkers do this?