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by Mark Halpin

ANSWER: PINOT BLANC / PINK LEMONADE


The groups of words given with the word search represent items typically of a particular color:

  • PURPLE: AMETHYST, BARNEY, COUNT VON COUNT, DINO, EGGPLANT, GRAPES, HYACINTH, KILLGRAVE, LILACS, MULBERRIES, PANSY, PHLOX, PLUM, SHARE BEAR, TINKY WINKY, TURNIPS
  • BLUE: AZURITE, BEAST, DR. MANHATTAN, GLEEK, GONZO, GROVER, HYSSOP, INKY, LAPIS, LEVI'S, SAPPHIRE, SMURF, THE SEA, THE TICK, TURQUOISE, VISHNU
  • WHITE: ALBINO, CASPER, CHALK, CLOUD, COTTON, CREAM, CUEBALL, EGRET, MAYO, MOBY DICK, Q-TIP, RICOTTA, SALT, SKULL, SNOWMAN, SUGAR, TEETH, TOFU, YOGURT
  • ORANGE: APRICOTS, CARROT, CHEDDAR, CLYDE, FLAME, GOLDFISH, JACK O' LANTERN, KUMQUAT, MANDARINS, MIMOSA, PUMPKIN, TANGELO, TANGERINE, UGLI, YAMS
  • RED: BLINKY, BLOOD, BORSCHT, BRAEBURN, BRICK, CARDINAL, CATSUP, CHERRY, CHIANTI, CLARET, ELMO, GARNET, HEART, HELLBOY, RADISH, ROSE, ROUGE, RUBY, STRAWBERRY, TOMATO
  • YELLOW: BANANA, BERT, BIG BIRD, BUTTER, CANARY, CHICK, CORN, HAYSTACK, LAA-LAA, LEMONS, ONEBALL, PAC-MAN, PEAR, QUINCE, SUNBEAM, TILSIT, YOLK
  • BROWN: BEAVER, BUFFALO, CAMEL, CARAMEL, CHESTNUT, CORKS, EARTH, GRIZZLY BEAR, MAHOGANY, MOOSE, PECAN, POTATO, PRETZEL, TOAST, WALNUT, WOOKIEE
  • BLACK: BOWLER, CLARINET, CLUB, COAL, CROW, EBONY, EIGHT BALL, HEARSE, HEMATITE, NIGHT, NINJA, ONYX, PANTHER, PITCH, RAVEN, SABLE, SPADE, TIRES, TUXEDO, WITCH'S CAT
  • GREEN: BOX HEDGE, CACTUS, CELERY, CLOVER, DIPSY, EMERALD, GRASS, IGUANA, JADEITE, KERMIT, LETTUCE, OLIVES, PICKLE, SHREK, SPINACH, THE HULK, TREE FROG, TURTLE, YODA

Per the flavor text, a flag ("standard") should be superimposed on the grid and only the colored letters matching the correct flag colors should be considered. Unused letters from the completed word search spell RAISE GLASSES AND VOICES TO OUR FLAG. AUX ARMES, CITOYENS, FORMEZ VOS BATAILLONS, MARCHONS, MARCHONS! QU'UN SANG IMPUR ABREUVE NOS SILLONS; this is from the chorus of "La Marsellaise", the national anthem of France. Using the French tricolor flag in such a manner creates letterforms spelling the answer PINOT BLANC as shown below:


The supplementary information from 1871 reveals that in the alternate history, the tricolor flag was replaced with the modern Gay Pride / Rainbow Flag. Repeating the process yields the answer PINK LEMONADE.