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Mardy vs Tardy - What's the difference?

mardy | tardy |

As adjectives the difference between mardy and tardy

is that mardy is sulky or whining while tardy is late; overdue or delayed.

As a noun tardy is

a piece of paper given to students who are late to class.

As a verb tardy is

to make tardy.

mardy

English

Adjective

(er)
  • (chiefly, East Midlands) Sulky or whining.
    • He's a mardy child.
  • (chiefly, East Midlands) Non-co-operative, bad tempered or terse in communication.

    • Usage notes

    Used throughout the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, plus other isolated spots in the North. In common use in most of Leicestershire, Rutland and the part of Lincolnshire close to these. It is used frequently in the city of Nottingham, throughout Derbyshire, and Derby city particularly. Mardy is also used in the southern part of South Yorkshire and Polesworth (West Midlands). Frequently combined with other words forming common phrases such as "mardy bum", "mardy cow" and "mardy bugger" [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A769250]. Sometimes shortened to "mard" particular when used in certain phrases such as "mard arse" or "mard on" (as in "he's got a mard on" to mean he's in a bad mood).

    Quotations

    *1913 , *: “I wouldn’t be such a mardy baby,” said his wife shortly. * 1984 Food, Health, and Identity, Patricia Caplan [1997 edition *: When our Jonathan’s poorly...he’s mardy', ''very'' ' mardy .... * 2001, Creating a Safe Place, NCH Children and Families Project [2003 edition *: Sometimes my mum’s in a mardy and she says she doesn’t care about us — but she does really.

    tardy

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Late; overdue or delayed.
    • He yawned, then raised a tardy hand over his mouth.
  • ineffectual; slow-witted, slow to act, or dullard.
    • His tardy performance bordered on incompetence.
  • Moving with a slow pace or motion; not swift.
  • * Sandys
    • Check the tardy flight of time.
  • * Prior
    • tardy to vengeance, and with mercy brave
  • (obsolete) Unwary; unready.
    • (Hudibras)
  • (obsolete) Criminal; guilty.
    • (Collier)

    Synonyms

    * (l), (l)

    Usage notes

    * The term suggests habitual lateness. * Somewhat dated in the United Kingdom.

    Noun

    (tardies)
  • (US) A piece of paper given to students who are late to class.
    • The teacher gave her a tardy because she did not come into the classroom until after the bell.

    See also

    * tardy slip

    Verb

  • (obsolete) To make tardy.
    • (Shakespeare)