standing in queue
[/ˈstændɪŋ ɪn kjuː/]
verb phrase / gerund
ficar na fila
1. the act of waiting in a line of people, typically in an orderly fashion, for one's turn to be served or to proceed
I spent two hours standing in queue at the supermarket checkout.
Passei duas horas ficando na fila no caixa do supermercado.
2. maintaining one's position in an orderly line while waiting for a service or event
Standing in queue for concert tickets requires patience.
Ficar na fila para comprar ingressos de show exige paciência.
In Brazil, 'ficar na fila' is an extremely common daily expression due to long queues at banks, government offices, and stores. Queue jumping (furar a fila) is considered very rude and disrespectful. In the USA and particularly NYC, standing/waiting in line is a common civic practice, though attitudes toward queue discipline vary by region.
NYC Slang
waiting on line (NYC commonly uses 'on line' instead of 'in line')
Related Idioms & Phrases
jump the queue - pular a fila
cut in line - furar a fila
get to the front of the line - chegar na frente da fila
patience is a virtue - a paciência é uma virtude (when discussing standing in queue)
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