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waiting in line vs waiting on line

The correct phrase is "waiting in line." The phrase "waiting on line" is not commonly used in American English and may be specific to certain regions or dialects.

Last updated: March 08, 2024 • 906 views

waiting in line

This phrase is correct and commonly used in American English.

This phrase is used to describe the act of standing in a queue or line, such as in a store or at an event.

Examples:

  • I'm waiting in line to buy tickets for the concert.
  • She spent hours waiting in line at the DMV.
  • We were all waiting in line for the new iPhone release.
  • The children were patiently waiting in line for their turn on the swing.
  • There were so many people waiting in line for the popular restaurant.
  • Jump up to: a b c "Exit waiting in line, enter QLess". Vator.tv. 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2010-09-23. Jump up ^ "Could your practice's waiting area become obsolete ...
  • In various restaurants, it is common practice to hand out menus for customers to peruse while waiting in line. Apart from shortening the perception of time, this ...
  • Aug 18, 2012 ... Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours each year waiting in line. The dominant cost of waiting is an emotional one: stress, boredom, that ...
  • Nov 26, 2014 ... The Worst Things You Can Do While Waiting In Line, According To ... an elaborate drink when there are a number of people waiting in line?

Alternatives:

  • standing in line
  • queuing up
  • lining up
  • waiting in a queue
  • waiting in a line

waiting on line

This phrase is not commonly used in American English and may be specific to certain regions or dialects.

  • Aug 7, 2010 ... People have been "waiting on line" in New York City for much,much longer than there was an internet. It goes back to 1917 or earlier; see ...
  • Nov 6, 2012 ... "Still waiting on line; meet me later for a drink, I'm gonna need it!" or "I'm still in line; they're longer than they were at Whole Foods pre #Sandy!
  • Oct 5, 2010 ... They say they're standing or waiting “on line.” We've written a blog entry about this common New Yorkism, though we didn't offer any theories ...
  • We would like to distance ourselves personally from the "waiting on line" thing, since people have strong feelings about it. We (the people who write this site) say  ...

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