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. | BALDWIN | ODOOD |
| 9. | WALTERS | SOHEO |
| 8. | MARTIN | TNONU |
| 7. | SEINFELD | UYNTR |
| 6. | CARREY | PMIYB |
| 5. | ROCK | OHCFL |
| 4. | LOUIS-DREYFUS | ROTOO |
| 3. | MANNING | SMOUC |
| 2. | FEY | YOTRK |
| 1. | MURRAY | NPWHS |
- 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. | LOCKWOOD | EERLD |
| 9. | SCHINDLER | RWUSC |
| 8. | MALLOY | IREIR |
| 7. | BRADDOCK | GTPKE |
| 6. | GALE | HEEES |
| 5. | LAWRENCE | TRAAS |
| 4. | O’HARA | LMTNC |
| 3. | CORLEONE | EFIUO |
| 2. | BLAINE | TONND |
| 1. | KANE | TRGSE |
- 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. | GASTON | CNHNA |
| 9. | SOS | ATRGT |
| 8. | GREEN PANTS | DONIO |
| 7. | ONE | JWOCE |
| 6. | POPULAR | UHWAX |
| 5. | CONFRONTATION | NOPRP |
| 4. | MEMORY | MCLDL |
| 3. | BE PREPARED | UAASO |
| 2. | ROXIE | TNYTD |
| 1. | MASQUERADE | ATIHE |
- 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. | LORD | BRYBE |
| 9. | LADY | REOYR |
| 8. | MAID | AEVCK |
| 7. | SWAN | ERTTM |
| 6. | GOOSE | TTEHI |
| 5. | RING | TEREN |
| 4. | BIRD | LASFN |
| 3. | HEN | ETETE |
| 2. | DOVE | SEEYT |
| 1. | PARTRIDGE | TRNLT |
- Countdown
- Gifts from “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
- Clue
- BRATTLE STREET EATERY OVERSEEN BY CHEF TYLER KINNETT
- Answer
- HARVEST
| 10. | CAREY | POTER |
| 9. | SCHWARTZMAN | LNEDD |
| 8. | COLEMAN | UGCBB |
| 7. | FLYNT | RLOYR |
| 6. | UEBERROTH | RDDIP |
| 5. | HUFFINGTON | AOFRA |
| 4. | CAMEJO | LMOIN |
| 3. | MCCLINTOCK | OEUCS |
| 2. | BUSTAMANTE | FRNHO |
| 1. | SCHWARZENEGGER | CADAN |
- Countdown
- Top vote-getters in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election
- Clue
- PLURAL OF CONGLOMERATE COFOUNDED BY RICHARD BRANSON
- Answer
- VIRGINS
| 10. | GRISE FIORD | EAWIO |
| 9. | LONDON | SPELR |
| 8. | CAMBRIDGE BAY | TLLII |
| 7. | TOKYO | AALZN |
| 6. | MEDAN | BCIAC |
| 5. | IQALUIT | CSOOL |
| 4. | ANTANANARIVO | LENTA |
| 3. | SAMARINDA | ITCIT |
| 2. | JAYAPURA | SOIOA |
| 1. | NUUK | HDVNN |
- 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. | SHARKS | WTGEO |
| 9. | COWBOYS | HIHRI |
| 8. | PADRES | AOTSN |
| 7. | SPURS | TNSAG |
| 6. | EAGLES | AEAYG |
| 5. | SUNS | NEYIO |
| 4. | DYNAMO | LBWNE |
| 3. | CUBS | ARANI |
| 2. | GALAXY | UMFGN |
| 1. | RANGERS | CITGG |
- Countdown
- Professional sports teams from the ten most populated US cities
- Clue
- WHAT AN AUCTIONEER MIGHT SAY AFTER SAYING GOING GOING
- Answer
- GONE
| 10. | OBERON | TWNRE |
| 9. | RHEA | HOAEC |
| 8. | TITANIA | ERMEA |
| 7. | TRITON | SDEUP |
| 6. | EUROPA | EISSI |
| 5. | LUNA | CNOST |
| 4. | IO | OTFTA |
| 3. | CALLISTO | UYNAT |
| 2. | TITAN | NHTAL |
| 1. | GANYMEDE | DEHTS |
- Countdown
- Largest moons in the solar system (by diameter)
- Clue
- THE SECOND WORD IN THE NAMES OF THREE US STATE CAPITALS
- Answer
- CITY
| 10. | HANSDOTTER | AEDEB |
| 9. | FOURCADE | GTIYA |
| 8. | GISIN | OWEWC |
| 7. | ZAGITOVA | LIARK |
| 6. | CHOI | FXNIW |
| 5. | SCHULTING | STDTA |
| 4. | SHIFFRIN | CBBTR |
| 3. | SERWA | OIOED |
| 2. | GEISENBERGER | ECPNE |
| 1. | LORENTZEN | RRGNS |
- 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.
