NIRLE – LINER

NECHE – HENCE

TUACIQ – ACQUIT

CICIAD – ACIDIC

CARTOON ANSWER:  THE REINDEER ATE THE GROWTH ON THE TREE BARK AND WERE – – –

LNHECTII – “LICHEN” IT

Good morning, Everyone! What an enDEERing Puzzle!

🎶”OH, That’s the way, uh-huh, uh-huh..I LIKE IT, uh-huh, uh-huh; That’s the way
Uh-huh, uh-huh I LIKE IT..”🎶

Oh, my DEER…Now THIS is a puzzle to sink your teeth into! Today we have not just the pun, and the play on words, but we have one of those words whose pronunciation can be a double-edged sword! But no matter how we cut it, this is one to ROOT for! I’m going to do the eye candy first. CEDAR cute little squirrel? I’m all..🎶”It had to be YEW”! 🎶 LOL…Our words: Today I think they’re perfectly suited FIR this puzzle. The tiniest bit of a challenge, but we’re not BITING off more than we can CHEW! Going out on a LIMB again, it’s my oPINEion that we’ve seen them before. Except maybe ACIDIC. If we have, Dave’s given it a whole new TEAR! ACQUIT, unfortunately has become an everyday word. You read a paper today, you see ACQUIT! (And HENCE, those acquittals have become FODDER for a lot of late night one-LINERs)! But, I digress…

OAK-Kay, now, INTO the WOODS! Jeff’s giving us two DEERS eating from the BARK of the tree. “It’s good”, …they’re (LIKING) “LICHEN” it! FIR real? WILLOW look at this! LEAF it to him, to give us so MULCH of a TREEt! LICHEN, in a NUTshell, is a combination of fungus and algae that grows on rocks, TREES, and the gravestones of our DEERly departed. (Ironically, it’s alive)! The pronunciation of it, is what I FERNly beLEAF may STUMP us a bit. Not to worry, it’s not overwELMing! ASH and ye shall receive!  In American English, we say “LIKEN”, the more POPLAR pronunciation. But, ACORNding to the British, it’s “Li-t-chen”, like kitchen! Let’s be honest, it “looks” like kitchen, right? Who knows, maybe it’s just a matter of TASTE! Maybe we should BRANCH out and use both! WALNUT?
Friday, Everyone! I’m LOVIN’ it! Happy day to all! 🌳🐿 🙋🏻