OCENU = OUNCE

TIKNH = THINK

DERTUG = TRUDGE

BCAROH = BROACH

CARTOON ANSWER:

THE OIL DRILLING BUSINESS WAS FAILING BECAUSE THE OWNERS WERE RUNNING IT —

ONETINTUDGROH = INTO THE GROUND

Good Thursday morning everyone!  The first three clue words were no trouble at all and came instantly into view.  BROACH took an extra glance but it too came fairly quickly.  Moving along to the cartoon, we see two men working on a pumpjack and they appear displeased at it’s state of disrepair.  Being from the northeast, I’ve never seen one of these machines and was surprised to learn that they have so many different names (oil horse, oil jack, donkey pumper, nodding donkey, pumping unit, horsehead pump, rocking horse, beam pump, dinosaur, grasshopper pump, Big Texan, thirsty bird, cricket, or jack pump).  Looking at a diagram of one, the gentleman on the left with the wrench appears to be working on the bridle block while the man on the right can be seen oiling the saddle bearing.  The answer to the cartoon flowed right out as if I had just struck Texas Tea and the letter layout was very cryptic and kept the solution well hidden.  In New England, the colloquial term for this puzzle would be “wicked easy” as it took only seconds to finish.  Have a terrific Thursday and I’ll see you tomorrow!!!  🙂👍🏻