Between the mention of Years and the fact that there are 12 feeders, solvers should hopefully think to look at the Chinese Zodiac. Each answer can have a single letter replaced by a Zodiac animal to get a new word/phrase. (The best break-ins seem to be IMAGINE US or NEE.) Ordering by Zodiac order and taking the replaced letters gives the meta answer, TIED UP IN A BOA.
| Feeder | Answer with Year Replaced | Replaced Letter | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUTE | CURATE | T | |
| DELPHI | DELPHOX | I | |
| BANE | BANTIGER | E | A mountain in the Alps |
| DICE | RABBIT ICE | D | Also known as a frost flower |
| IMAGINE US | IMAGINE DRAGONS | U | |
| ORANGE PEEL | ORANGE SNAKE EEL | P | |
| HOLI | HOL HORSE | I | From JoJo's Bizarre Adventure |
| NEE | GOATEE | N | |
| ASPHERE | MONKEYSPHERE | A | |
| BROCK | ROOSTER ROCK | B | An obelisk in a state park of the same name |
| NABOO | NABDOGO | O | |
| AEON | PIGEON | A |