First In, Last Out

[Don_Horhe]

A tattooist has asked me to help him translate "first in, last out" in Chinese and what I came up with is 先进者后走 or simply 先进后走, but the latter is, AFAIK, a term used in computer science. Is there a more idiomatic way of expressing this? Possibly a chengyu?

[Guoke]

先进后出

早到晚退

[Don_Horhe]

Thanks!

[CrisPal]

In computer science,that is data structure. "First In Last Out" is called "栈"."Last In First Out" is called "堆".I can not get any ChengYu to express them.

[jbradfor]

HUH? Is it just me, or is this one of the stupidest tattoos ever?

[Don_Horhe]

HUH? Is it just me, or is this one of the stupidest tattoos ever?

I pretty much told the guy the same thing, but he said he wants it for his database nonetheless...

[roddy]

Got a feeling it's a motto for some army regiment or something. Sounds like it could be.

[Don_Horhe]

I think it's more akin to the sense that those who strive to be first end up being last, as in people rushing like mad to get on a bus so they can sit down, but when the time comes for them to get off, they get off last.

[roddy]

Not convinced. See if you can get us his database, should be some good giggles in there . . .

[gougou]

Ah! Quick, somebody a chengyu about sitting on a bus! Those guys in the fire department will be delighted...

[roddy]

先下后。。。。no wait, never mind . . .

[skylee]

AFAIK, the term is commonly used in personnel sense, like how you lay off people, how you get people transferred, etc.

[jbradfor]

Not convinced.

Ah. Yes, I think you have the answer. That makes more sense now, I only know of the phrase in the computer science sense, not the fire fighting sense.

[flippant]

There's a piece of Classical Chinese that extols on the virtues of, amongst other things, being first in and last out. It also praises being able to case a room for loot, among other things.