“Spoon,” Holger Hansen, c. 1935-1942. National Gallery of Art.
Image Citation. https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.29701.html.
There are many instances of short-hand in recipes overall, but especially in ones that are passed down; the recipient is expected to know what they mean regardless.
| Short-Hand | Translation | Example |
| Lg. | Large | 1 lg. egg |
| Tsp., t., teas., tspoon | Teaspoon | |
| Tbsp., T. | Tablespoon | |
| Sq. | Square | 2 sqs. chocolate |
| C. | Cup | |
| Lb. | Pound | |
| “Scant” | A little under-filled | 1 scant cup milk |
| “Level” | Exact | 1 level teaspoon baking powder |
| “Rounded” | A little over-filled | 1 rounded teaspoon baking soda |
| “Heaping” | Very over-filled | 1 heaping tablespoon sugar |
| “ | Apply previously-indicated measurement |