Folks, the phrase is “first come, first served,” as it is shorthand for “those who get there first will be the first to be served.” I understand that the closing “d” may be dropped by people who have only heard this spoken aloud, so I would like to set the record straight.

Come first, get served first.

I suggest adding hyphens when the phrase is used as an adjective: Tickets will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.