tardy: implies a lack of promptness or punctuality or a lateness that results from slowness in progress, or, more often, from delay in starting: made excuses for his ~ arrival.


late: usually stresses a failure to come or take place at the time due because of procrastination, slowness, or interference: he was ~ for work most mornings.


behindhand: applies to the situation of persons who have fallen into arrears or whose development, progress, or action is slower than normal: ~ in their mortgage payment.    （arrear有两个意思，1）欠款，如he is six monthis in arrear with his rent他拖欠了六个月房租，又如本例拖欠按揭贷款； 2）落后，如in this we are much in arrear(s) of Europe这方面我们远远落后欧洲）


overdue: may apply to what has become due but not been dealt with: an ~ library book; or what has been expected or scheduled but has not arrived: our guests are long ~; or what might logically have occurred or appeared long before: produced ~ tax reform.   long before很久前，before long不久后，"狼在前，很久前；狼在后，不久后"，感谢温暖热心的彭卫萍老师，教了我这个口诀!


tardy迟缓: 指做事不迅速不准时，由于启动延迟或行动缓慢，late迟到: 表示没有在指定时间到达或发生，如由于拖延缓慢干扰，behindhand拖欠落后: 表示落后或拖欠，即动作进展比一般要慢，overdue过期/迟到晚点/早该做的: 可以指在该处理的时间还没处理；或该到达但没到达；或指逻辑上早该进行的 (逻辑是指有顺序的思考orderly thinking，还引申为理性有条理，它是推理reason的基础词)


记忆方法: 1）首字母tlbo排序成BOLT闪电<==毫不迟延     bolt of lightning闪电，bolt还表示螺栓，如nuts and bolts螺帽和螺栓，比喻具体细节


         2）迟延的意思是没有在预定时间到达或发生mean not arriving or doing or occurring at the set, due, or expected time.