No standing vs no parking: what is the difference?

Short answer

No standing is stricter than no parking. Under "no parking" you may stop briefly to load or unload. Under "no standing" you may only stop to pick up or drop off people, and you cannot leave the car. So if a sign says no standing, you cannot park there either, even if it never says "no parking".

The three levels, from strict to loose

No stopping: do not stop at all, except when traffic or police make you.
No standing: you may stop only for a moment to let people in or out. No waiting, no loading boxes, no leaving the car.
No parking: you may stop for a short time to load or unload people or things, but you must not leave the car parked.

Each level includes the ones below it. No stopping also means no standing and no parking. No standing also means no parking.

“This sign does not say no parking. Does no standing mean no parking in DC?”

Yes. This question gets asked a lot (one Reddit thread on it has hundreds of replies). In Washington, DC and New York City, “standing” means a car that is stopped, with or without a driver, other than for a quick passenger drop-off. Parking is a longer kind of standing. So a no standing sign bans parking too, during the hours on the sign.

When a pole has both

Read every sign. The strictest rule that is in force right now wins. A green “2 hour parking” sign does not help you during the hours a red “no standing” sign on the same pole is active, if its arrow points to your side.

Check the hours and the arrow

Rush hour rules like “7 - 9:30 AM, 4 - 6:30 PM, Mon - Fri” only apply in those windows.
An arrow means the rule only covers the curb on that side of the pole. See how parking sign arrows work.

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Questions

Is no standing the same as no parking?

No. No standing is stricter. It bans parking and also bans waiting or loading. You may only stop briefly to pick up or drop off passengers.

Can I wait in my car in a no standing zone?

No. Waiting counts as standing. You may only stop long enough for passengers to get in or out.

Can I load groceries in a no standing zone?

Usually not. Loading goods is allowed in a no parking zone, but not in a no standing zone (some cities allow commercial vehicles with signs saying so).