Originally posted by wolfgang59
L E V E L
P L U M B
😀

_ A P P _
_ H R I S T M A _

Originally posted by Paul Dirac II
HAPPY
CHRISTMAS (And same back at you.)

I was thinking of BEVEL & PLUMB, but LEVEL & PLUMB makes a nice matching set.

_LAI_
_UIT_

Originally posted by Great Big Stees
flair
suits (not the clothing)

_ O D E _
_ U A R _

Originally posted by Paul Dirac II
MODEL
GUARD

(I was thinking SUITE, but yes, SUITS as a verb works since plural nouns are not allowed herein.)

_IAN_
_UST_

If Santa's elf granted me one wish, I would wish for a hint on your first word. 🙂

Originally posted by Paul Dirac II
If Santa's elf granted me one wish, I would wish for a hint on your first word. 🙂

Originally posted by wolfgang59
The two words are connected. One is permission for the other.

_ X E A _
_ E A V _

Originally posted by Paul Dirac II
My schoolboy Latin is such that I remember exeunt means LEAVE the stage, but that is as close as I can come.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
_ H A S _
_ B Y S _

related words again

Originally posted by Paul Dirac II
PHASE
ABYSS

(Probably not the words you had in mind.)

_ETA_
_USI_

Originally posted by wolfgang59
_ U C I _
_ R E A _

again related!!!

Originally posted by Paul Dirac II
LUCID
BREAD

But those are not obviously related, so I echo wolgang's clues for some different word pair:

_UCI_
_REA_

Originally posted by wolfgang59
LUCID is correct!

Originally posted by Paul Dirac II
LUCID
DREAM


_ABL_
_ADI_

RIGHT
WRONG

_IQU_
_HEL_

Just to add that they don't have to be related. Any valid word is acceptable.