ShmoopTube

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[ musical flourish ]

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And here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by clockwork,

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the most punctual of professions.

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Which of these words is closest in meaning to tardy?

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Tardy. And here are the potential answers.

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[ mumbles ] All right.

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Well, let's start with the root "tard,"

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which, in Latin, means "slow."

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[ chuckles ] Hey, no giggling. Not cool.

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Okay, let's see if we can narrow down

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our choices. Let's take a look at B - tough,

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which is another word for hardy.

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That means strong or sturdy.

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Sounds like tardy, sure, but not the same thing.

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What about C - absent?

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Well, when you're absent from school, it means that

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you didn't show up at all, not that you were slow to get there.

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Then there's D - unwelcome, which means

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that you aren't wanted or accepted, like a tomato in a fruit salad.

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Yeah, this one's just random.

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Which leaves us with A - late.

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If you're tardy for work or a party, it means

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you didn't show up on time. But at least you made it, right?

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So the correct answer is A - late.

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Just don't make a habit of it.

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[ alarm clock rings ]

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