rude, rued, rood

Rude or rude means impolite, discourteous, or socially offensive--
There's no need to be rude!
He was rude to her family, and he won't apologize.

Rude may also mean rough or harsh, literally or figuratively--
He was rude in manner and uncouth in speech, but the people idolized him.
His rude clothing and awkward speech made him a target for bullies.

Rued or rued ( rhymes with rude ) is the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) of "rue", meaning to regret or repent--
He quit his job impulsively, and just as quickly rued his decision.
He often rued the day that he rented the apartment, with its noisy neighbors and unreliable plumbing.

Rood or rood ( rhymes with rude ) is an old-fashioned word for a religious cross or crucifix--
The rood at the top of the church needs repair.
The old church, with its carved rood, is now a historic attraction.
Rood is also a unit of measurement--
The old house sat on a rood of land.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He rued the day that he hired the rude carpenter to work on the old rood."

Note-"rue" may be a verb ( action word ), meaning to regret or repent--
I rue the day, he rues the day, we all rue the day.
Yesterday we rued the day.
We are ruing the day.
"Rue" may also be a noun ( thing or idea ), meaning repentance or regret--
He felt rue when he thought of his home.
Note # 2--Rue is also an herb, sometimes used in cooking or perfume--
'There's rue for you; and here's some for me..."
Not to be confused with "roo" or "'roo", an informal word meaning kangaroo--
There's a roo in the garden, munching on the shrubbery.