False Alarm? Not This Time!
by Kegler

Some answers lose a letter to the bottom row, becoming new words before entry.  22 Across explains what is going on.

Across 1 Former coed excited Alan without hesitation 5 Reportedly encounter Greek character’s entrée in “Sweeney Todd” (2 wds) 12 Lawsuit involving rogue’s cataract 13 Rushed contestant’s last bombastic speech 14 Follow instructions of old Turkish leader 16 Crazed, capturing chief of tribe having powers of divination 17 Pink and red exist 19 Ivy, for example, found in ravines 20 Badly beat an early software version 21 I care about author Jong 22 See instructions 25 Tried to contact police department? About time! 29 Cheer’s source 30 Starts to ask Luigi about eating wings in Rome 31 Predictor of the future for heartless vendor 32 Coquette’s energy controlled by stun gun 33 I am considering former Hungarian Prime Minister Nagy 34 Whale’s tail seen in sailor’s salty water? 35 Weapons destroyed vegetable (2 wds) 36 Tea set’s broken; what’s left? 37 Rigid shrink ignoring inmate

Down 1 Narco busts certain plant product;... 2 ...escorts drug dealers, quietly leaving 3 Innocent one in church area 4 Highly regard commercial muck 5 Rev. Spooner’s cockeyed military meal is insignificant 6 Audibly rate sea eagle 7 “Cavities”: an art retrospective 8 Praise still fills essays 9 Certain pro athlete and gym rat primarily receives acknowledgment 10 One who sets up political victors harder to believe 11 Scottish lord pursues English fuel component 15 Attractive women acquiring Thor’s jogging attire that is loose-fitting 18 French head back, taking bit of comp time and the like (2 wds) 22 Cheap box full of shelled nuts (hyph) 23 Picks up nurses behind meadow 24 “Go make lace” is suggested (2 wds) 25 Physical therapy involving bowling alley and a very large ball? 26 Tyrant is clean? 27 Office worker initially increased speeds 28 Attempt accommodating new tea pact 30 A female tennis great

Solution