William used a great many abbreviations. In some cases an abbreviation is explained in a note. Many are easily understandable, but a select list of common abbreviations and their meanings appear below. Common abbreviations such as "Dr." for Doctor, "Capt." for Captain, or "P.O. for Post Office have been excluded.
&c et cetera
+c et cetera
abt about
ac., acct. account
acq. acquaintance
Admr. administrator
advt, adt advertisement
aft. afternoon
afft. affidavit
agrt agreement
agt, agst. against
agt agent
Al. (or Albt or Abt) Albert
arrd arrived
Ast. Astoria
Ast & H. Pt R.R. Co. Astoria & Hunters Point Railroad Company
Atty attorney
Aug. August
B. of T. Board of Trustees (Liederkranz)
Bd Board
Bdway Broadway
bef. before
bet. between
Bk Bank
Bk. o. M. Bank of the Metropolis, New Yorki
Bldg., Blg., Buildg. building (sometimes followed by Com.= Committee)
Br. (br.) bridge
Braunsch., Braunschg Braunschweig, Germany
Brdway & B. B. R. R. Broadway & Bowery Bay Railroad
bro. brother
Buff. Buffalo
bus. business
C. (or Cen.) Park Central Park
C. W. Canada West
Cap. Capital, capitalization
Centl Centennial
Ch. H. St. Charles H. Steinway
Charl., Chas. Charles
Chick. Chickering
Chickgs. Chickerings (company)
Chu. Church
Cinc. Cincinnati, Ohio
Co. (or Comp.) Company
Colum. Columbus, Ohio
Com. Committee or Commission
Comp. Company
Con. (or Conc.) concert
cor. corner
Cr. creditors
Ct. Connecticut
Cts. cents
d. down
disc, disct discount
do. (or do) ditto
dur. during
East R. G. L. Co. East River Gas Light Company
Eg, ev., evg, ev'g, eveg, eve'g, e"g evening
espec. especially
exc. excursion
Expr. Express (train)
fact. (or fact) factory
fath. father
fin. finished
Fl. Florentiner (German currency at the time)
Fr. Frederick, Friedrich, Fred
fr. from
Frl. Fräulein (Miss)
Fr. St. Frederick T. Steinway
G. A. Bk. German American Bank
Geb. Gebrüder (Brothers, Bros.)
geb. geboren (born)
Geo. George
Germ. German
Grand Tr. R.R. Grand Trunk Railroad
Great W. R.R. Great Western Railroad
Greenw. Green-wood Cemetery, Brooklyn
H. R. R. R. Harlem River Railroad
H. R. R. R. Hudson River Railroad
H. St. Henry W. T. Steinway
H. Z. Henry Ziegler
Impt. improvement
Ind. Indiana
indept independent
Intr. introduction
J. C. R. R. Jersey Central Railroad
K. N. K. Knauth, Nachod & Kühne, New York law firm
Kr. Kreuzer (German currency at the time: pennies)
L
L.I.C. (or Long Isl. City) Long Island City, N.Y.
L.P. latex prophylactic (latex condom)
L.P. + Comp. Lyon, Potter & Company
L. T. Liedertafel (Buffalo singing society)
L.K. Liederkranz
let. letter
L.R.R. (or L. Road) elevated railrod
L.R.R.Co. Long Island Railroad Company
Manuf. Manufacturers
Mass. Massachusetts
Mdlle Mademoiselle
mem. memorandum
Mich. Michigan
mor.g, morn., Mrg morning
Mons, Mos. Monsieur
moth. mother
mtg. mortgage
Mus. musical
N. S. North Side
N. Y. New York
N. Y. & Erie R. R. New York & Erie Railroad
N.Y. + N.E. R.R. New York & North Eastern Railroad
N. Y. S. M. New York State Militia
nbr number
Nia. , Nig. Falls Niagara Falls
oct. octave
Old Bow. Theatre Old Bowery Theatre
Ont. Ontario
Pa. Pennsylvania
Penn.R.R. Pennsylvania Railrod
Peny. uncertain; Pennsylvania Railroad
perfor. performance
pfg. Pfennig (0.01 Mark)
Phil. Philharmonic
pr. per or pro (by, via)
Pres. President
prop. property
R. E. real estate
R. R. Railroad
R. R. Regina Roos (after divorce from William)
R.T.C. (or Rapid Tr.Com,) Rapid Transit Commission
Reg. (or R.) Regina Roos Steinway
Regt. (or Reg. or Regt)
reh. (or rehears.) rehearse
resp. respective
Rest. restaurant
ret. return(s)
Revol. revolver
Rh. Rhein (Rhine)
Rh. Rheumatism
Russ. & T. Russell & Tolman, Steinway agents in Boston
Rway Railway
s.h. second hand
Septbr. September
shg shilling
Soc. Society
Soph. Sophie Steinway, wife of Charles G. Steinway
St + H.Pt R.R. Steinway & Hunter's Point Railroad Co.
St + S Steinway & Sons
St. Steinway
St. Isl. Staten Island
St. L., Alton & Chic. R.R. St. Louis, Alton, & Chicago Railroad
St. Theatre Stadttheatre
str. street
Th., Thlr. Thaler (German monetary word)
Th. Theatre
Th. Thomas (sometimes Theodore)
Thankg. Thanksgiving
transl. translation (or translated)
upt. uptown
U. St. United States
v. von
v. B. von Bernuth
Vice Pres. Vice President
w. with
Wash. Washington, D.C.