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I keep seeing that abbreviation on dict.cc and other dictionaries, but I can't find what it is short for.

insaner
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    Voting to close, because the answer can be easily found by consulting a reference (Plus most paper dictionaries have one included.) – Jan Apr 10 '15 at 23:42
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    related, non-closed question with upvotes: http://german.stackexchange.com/questions/2452/what-does-the-abbreviation-gem-mean?rq=1 – insaner Apr 11 '15 at 01:03
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    I opted to leave this question open because I strongly suspect insaner is not the only one at a loss with abbreviations and this would be, at least in a comment, an opportunity to give them useful hints. On the dict.cc site the abbreviations link is quite unremarkable and an abbreviation itself (Abk.), almost uncomprehendable for users unfamiliar with German shortcuts, and Google makes you choose between underground gas storage, Uganda Shilling, unattended ground sensor, undergraduate studies, and the like. – Martin Schwehla Apr 11 '15 at 06:08
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    Even dict.cc has got a reference: https://www.dict.cc/guidelines/ – blutorange Apr 11 '15 at 07:57
  • Voting for close for the exact reason that every dictionary has a list of all abbreviations that they make use of. – Em1 Apr 11 '15 at 08:34
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because you can find the explanation of all standard-abrevations in every dictionary. – Hubert Schölnast Apr 11 '15 at 09:06
  • @insaner note how that other question actually included a reference sentence. Not that that one was a good question, but it was still better than yours. – Jan Apr 11 '15 at 11:16
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    SE contains a LOT of questions (and therefore answers) of stuff you can "easily" find elsewhere.. and yet, those SE questions usually end up at the top of search results. So there is value in sometimes asking a question that someone else might think is too easy to find elsewhere. – insaner Apr 11 '15 at 15:15
  • Just by the way, I did try a quick search on that site, this site and google, and turned up no answers. Someone else might do the same in the future, and now, instead, come across this question. – insaner Apr 11 '15 at 15:16
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    How does that question get 3 upvotes... the reference that is mentioned in the question HAS THE ANSWER. – Emanuel Apr 11 '15 at 22:23
  • @insaner... based on that logic we could make a question for each word here. .. .also: https://www.google.de/search?client=opera&q=ugs+german&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest&gws_rd=ssl I don't know what you searched for but I can find the answer on Google just fine – Emanuel Apr 11 '15 at 22:25
  • @MartinSchwehla ... http://www.dict.cc/?s=ugs... search query was ugs... I don't see ANY problem there. As for Google, of course you ought to add "German" to your query. – Emanuel Apr 11 '15 at 22:26
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    @emanuel, that's really strange, I clicked on the "ugs." link that appears next to words where it applies, and all it gave me was a list of words that are "Ugs." type words. I don't know why I didn't think to just try it as the query itself. In any case, look at all the upvotes the answer is getting, that can't mean that the question is pointless. – insaner Apr 12 '15 at 00:45
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    @Emanuel Try to put yourself into the position of somebody who doesn't know what you know. It shouldn't be necessary to start a query on a site to access basic usability features, and if you have a better know-how of finding the proper hits for a string in a Google search, people here who don't will be greatful if you share that know-how with them. – Martin Schwehla Apr 12 '15 at 07:05
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    @MartinSchwehla... what's your point? The question is asking for a translation which can be found in multiple dictionaries including the one mention in the question itself. All that makes this question a very good example for questions that get closed... not because it is stupid or anything but because these questions get closed on German SE as per the guidelines. If we put ourselves in other peoples shoes here, we can do that for any question and just leave everything open. And as for my "knowledge"... I did share it in the comment, didn't I.... anyway, let's agree to disagree (yet again ) – Emanuel Apr 13 '15 at 00:13

1 Answers1

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Ugs. == umgangssprachlich see also https://dict.leo.org/ende/?lang=de&search=umgangssprachlich

This abbreviation is one of the many metalinguistic signs and symbols used in dictionaries and linguistic works of reference in order to save precious space and to clear the layout.

In printed works, the abbreviations are usually included in the introductory part of a dictionary, i.e. on the first few pages. In online resources, you have to look for links labeled "Abkürzungen", "Abk.", "Hilfe", "Help", "Shortcuts", and the like, but you may also access the abbrevations list through a site search. A search engine query might be most promising if you include "German" or "Deutsch" in the search string, as it was already pointed out in a comment.

Martin Schwehla
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serfix
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