We Brits are profoundly discombobulated when we visit a country like Germany, famed for its order and regulations about crossing roads, only to find that the English word "queue" got mis-translated as "free for all".
Queue is a French word dating back to the 15th century.
Colloquial English usage didn't arise until the middle of the 19th century.
nice to see another fan of mikes. he's bill bryson's spiritual predecessor, but seems to have fallen into relative obscurity.