
Want To Learn More About Musical Terms and Theory? Acting with Passion: A Performer’s Guide to Emotions on Cue.If you work in the theater, it can be a difficult time as there can be so much to do. The word cue demands an almost immediate action to commence.

The word queue does not imply an immediate commencement but a preparation.

This would be the right term to use if you are creating a list of songs to play at a party or function. This will also apply in films and the theater for an actor, the lights, or even the music to prepare to commence. If you are preparing or want others to prepare to commence a piece of music, then cue is the right term to use. So, Is it ‘Cue the Music’ or ‘Queue the Music’? Cue The Music

Similarly, placing ‘up’ behind the word queue or line is telling you to get in order or get in line for something so that it is ready to happen. ‘Cue’ used on its own is a word that indicates something is going to commence immediately, as we have discussed.īut when used with up, as in ‘Cue Up,’ it means to get prepared to start on cue. You will sometimes see the use of the word ‘up’ with either word. Generally speaking, the meaning of the word queue is an ordered list to be carried out over some time. It wouldn’t make grammatical sense to say you want to ‘line’ them.
#Cue vs queue download
For example, you would say that you want to queue songs or videos to download or watch. And, there are occasions when the word ‘queue’ is used automatically. Replacing the word ‘queue’ with ‘line’ doesn’t always work.
#Cue vs queue series
It could be ‘queuing’ a series of songs or videos that are to be played in a certain order. Or, it could be joining an already existing queue/line to board a plane or pass through customs. It could be forming a line – queue to buy something. It can be used in a wide variety of situations. That gives it an indication of length, and it is often used in English to mean a line. It is used sometimes in French to refer to a braid of hair, like a plait, hanging down the back. The word is originally French, and one of its literal translations is tail. What we are saying is that the word cue demands an action that is often immediate. Or, it could be actors giving each other cues in their narration using certain words. That could be a director giving actors a cue for an action to be performed. In the theater, or for that matter, in film, a cue is also a reminder that something needs to happen that includes them. For example, when the conductor of an orchestra taps his lectern, this is a cue for the musicians to be ready to commence. For example, a cue is a name given to the stick you use when playing Snooker, Billiards, or Pool.īut, in musical terms, the meaning of the word cue is a signal that will result in an action being undertaken. And some have nothing to do with music or the theater. There are plenty of uses for the word ‘cue’ that have been adopted in various situations. For an individual or a group of people to start something.Ī queue is usually the creation of an ordered line that is not immediate but will be acted on at some point. So, when do you correctly use both words? The word ‘cue’ usually refers to a requirement for immediate action. That is a queue or list of music that is to be played in advance of it being played. It has different uses depending on the environment you are in.įor instance, you wouldn’t say ‘Line the music’ instead of ‘cue the music.’ But, if you were shopping, you could say you were ‘lining up’ or ‘queuing up,’ and both would be acceptable and understood.īut, if you were setting up a playlist for a function, you could ask the DJ to form a queue of music. But, it applies to a slightly different set of actions, as we shall see. ‘Queue the music’ is a common phrase in the UK, but not so much in the US. They are both widely used, and to ‘cue the music’ is a phrase used when asking musicians to get ready to play.

They are pronounced in the same way as you would when just saying the letter ‘Q.’ Cue and queue are “homophones.” That is, words that sound the same but have different meanings.Īs an added element of confusion, both cue and queue can also be used as either verbs or nouns. ‘Cue the Music’ or ‘Queue the Music’ – Conclusion.Want To Learn More About Musical Terms and Theory?.So, Is it ‘Cue the Music’ or ‘Queue the Music’?.
