by Dan Katz and Jackie Anderson

This puzzle consists of a list of ninety items, each associated with a five-letter sequence. These items are arranged in reverse alphabetical order because this puzzle is all about countdowns.

These ninety items can be partitioned into nine sets of ten items, each of which can be associated with some sort of countdown from 10 to 1. When the corresponding sequences are placed in order from 10 to 1, reading down the letters column by column reveals a clue (leading to a single word), but only if one of the sequences (shown in boldface below) is skipped.


10.BALDWINODOOD
9.WALTERSSOHEO
8.MARTINTNONU
7.SEINFELDUYNTR
6.CARREYPMIYB
5.ROCKOHCFL
4.LOUIS-DREYFUSROTOO
3.MANNINGSMOUC
2.FEYYOTRK
1.MURRAYNPWHS
Countdown
People who read the entries on David Letterman’s final Top Ten list
Clue
STUPOR SYNONYM HOMOPHONIC TO TWENTY FOUR HOUR BLOCKS
Answer
DAZE

10.LOCKWOODEERLD
9.SCHINDLERRWUSC
8.MALLOYIREIR
7.BRADDOCKGTPKE
6.GALEHEEES
5.LAWRENCETRAAS
4.O’HARALMTNC
3.CORLEONEEFIUO
2.BLAINETONND
1.KANETRGSE
Countdown
Last names of major characters in the top ten films on AFI’s “100 Years, 100 Movies” list
Clue
EIGHT LETTER TERM FOR REPEATING LIKE A NUNS DRESS CODE
Answer
HABITUAL

10.GASTONCNHNA
9.SOSATRGT
8.GREEN PANTSDONIO
7.ONEJWOCE
6.POPULARUHWAX
5.CONFRONTATIONNOPRP
4.MEMORYMCLDL
3.BE PREPAREDUAASO
2.ROXIETNYTD
1.MASQUERADEATIHE
Countdown
Songs from the ten longest running Broadway shows of all time
Clue
CAJUN MUTANT WHO CAN THROW PLAYING CARDS THAT EXPLODE
Answer
GAMBIT

10.LORDBRYBE
9.LADYREOYR
8.MAIDAEVCK
7.SWANERTTM
6.GOOSETTEHI
5.RINGTEREN
4.BIRDLASFN
3.HENETETE
2.DOVESEEYT
1.PARTRIDGETRNLT
Countdown
Gifts from “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
Clue
BRATTLE STREET EATERY OVERSEEN BY CHEF TYLER KINNETT
Answer
HARVEST

10.CAREYPOTER
9.SCHWARTZMANLNEDD
8.COLEMANUGCBB
7.FLYNTRLOYR
6.UEBERROTHRDDIP
5.HUFFINGTONAOFRA
4.CAMEJOLMOIN
3.MCCLINTOCKOEUCS
2.BUSTAMANTEFRNHO
1.SCHWARZENEGGERCADAN
Countdown
Top vote-getters in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election
Clue
PLURAL OF CONGLOMERATE COFOUNDED BY RICHARD BRANSON
Answer
VIRGINS

10.GRISE FIORDEAWIO
9.LONDONSPELR
8.CAMBRIDGE BAYTLLII
7.TOKYOAALZN
6.MEDANBCIAC
5.IQALUITCSOOL
4.ANTANANARIVOLENTA
3.SAMARINDAITCIT
2.JAYAPURASOIOA
1.NUUKHDVNN
Countdown
(Comparatively) large cities/towns on the ten largest islands (excluding continental landmasses)
Clue
ESTABLISH A PLACE TO DWELL IN CIVILIZATION OR IN CATAN
Answer
SETTLE

10.SHARKSWTGEO
9.COWBOYSHIHRI
8.PADRESAOTSN
7.SPURSTNSAG
6.EAGLESAEAYG
5.SUNSNEYIO
4.DYNAMOLBWNE
3.CUBSARANI
2.GALAXYUMFGN
1.RANGERSCITGG
Countdown
Professional sports teams from the ten most populated US cities
Clue
WHAT AN AUCTIONEER MIGHT SAY AFTER SAYING GOING GOING
Answer
GONE

10.OBERONTWNRE
9.RHEAHOAEC
8.TITANIAERMEA
7.TRITONSDEUP
6.EUROPAEISSI
5.LUNACNOST
4.IOOTFTA
3.CALLISTOUYNAT
2.TITANNHTAL
1.GANYMEDEDEHTS
Countdown
Largest moons in the solar system (by diameter)
Clue
THE SECOND WORD IN THE NAMES OF THREE US STATE CAPITALS
Answer
CITY

10.HANSDOTTERAEDEB
9.FOURCADEGTIYA
8.GISINOWEWC
7.ZAGITOVALIARK
6.CHOIFXNIW
5.SCHULTINGSTDTA
4.SHIFFRINCBBTR
3.SERWAOIOED
2.GEISENBERGERECPNE
1.LORENTZENRRGNS
Countdown
Gold medalists from the top ten nations in the 2018 Winter Olympics medal count
Clue
A GOLF SCORE TWIXT BIRDIE AND BOGEY WRITTEN BACKWARDS
Answer
RAP

Each of the extraneous sequences corresponds to a position from 10 to 2, and arranging the sequences in this order (which is the order in which they appear above) and reading column by column gives the message, “ORDER CLUED WORDS BY COUNTDOWN POSITION AND COMPLETE.” The clue answers in 10 to 2 order (also the order in which they appear above) are the last words in the titles of albums 10 through 2 in Spin’s Top 50 Albums of 2013. The last word in the title of the number one album is the entire title, YEEZUS, the answer to this puzzle.