Change Is In the Air (Solution)

by Bryce Herdt, with assistance from Amos Eshel

Virtually no words in the grid match the given categories. But the appearance of CARTRIDGE and FURLING should suggest the right approach. Words appearing in the grid differ from category words by one letter each. As a solving aid, words originating from any one category form a single clump.

The categories are also contiguous in the word list. Letters provided help determine a single order within each category. The items in the categories are represented below as "GRID WORD = category word * X".

Numbers

DINE = nine * D
FIRE = five * R
TON = ten * O
OWE = one * W
NIGHT = eight * N

Dinnerware

PORK = fork * P
BOIL = bowl * I
PLANE = plate * N
CUE = cup * E

Presidents

GUSH = Bush * G
RAFT = Taft * R
CAREER = Carter * E
FORE = Ford * E
GRAND = Grant * D

Imperial lengths

ITCH = inch * T
FURLING = furlong * I
MINE = mile * N

Geographical Features

TUNE = dune * T
RAKE = lake * R
HALL = hill * A
PONY = pond * Y

Countries

CHAR = Chad * R
CHILI = Chile * I
LADS = Laos * D

“Twelve Days” gifts

SWAB = swan * B
LAID = maid * L
HON = hen * O
CARTRIDGE = partridge * C
RINK = ring * K

Clothing

WANTS = pants * W
HOCK = sock * H
HIT = hat * I
NEST = vest * N
SCARE = scarf * E

The unused grid letters spell “You have a colorful final set.” It turns out the letters differing in the grid entries spell a different word for each category (not intended to be part of that category). Each of the eight words is one letter off a fairly common color, and the non-color letters spell the puzzle answer, DEDITION.

DROWN = brown * D
PINE = pink * E
GREED = green * D
TIN = tan * I
TRAY = gray * T
RID = red * I
BLOCK = black * O
WHINE = white * N