Fast Thinking

a cryptic puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Sixteen clue answers are too long to fit into the diagram. By heeding the unclued phrase at 19 Across, solvers can make sense of this mess. Answers include seven proper nouns.

Across

  • 1.
    Suggest writing about waterway of Italy (7)
  • 5.
    Bounced off, stung (7)
  • 8.
    Managed horse, having to pull back (9)
  • 9.
    "Free matinee!" Cap burst (10)
  • 10.
    Through engaging our pitcher, e.g. (6)
  • 11.
    Fool with Mom's hoard (5)
  • 12.
    Catholic almost praised man's name (6)
  • 14.
    I sing "California" in shower, creating a ruckus (11) (two words) (11)
  • 16.
    Reconciled, wearing cosmetics? (6) (two words) (6)
  • 17.
    Gets thinner recorders (6)
  • 22.
    Produces tool carried aboard ship (6)
  • 25.
    A gym permitted a little monkey (6)
  • 27.
    Wilder, consuming one bottled spirit (5)
  • 28.
    Outspoken clairvoyant's net income (6)
  • 30.
    Susan Morrison the author, American historian (9)
  • 31.
    Ignore monkeys around area (6)
  • 32.
    Calls about more regressive chemicals (10)
  • 33.
    Expanding second-rate farm, in westernmost Georgia (9)
  • 34.
    Business degree described by jargon that's full of excitement (hyphenated) (8)
  • 35.
    Entertainer laughs at filmdom's Harper (7)

Down

  • 1.
    Arizona Indian has Dad on run (6)
  • 2.
    Porter & I contrived a comic character (7)
  • 3.
    Parisian's father collects burning volcanic glass (7)
  • 4.
    Fluid half-dose, with liquor (5)
  • 5.
    Paparazzi arrived right before preacher's last word (9)
  • 6.
    Astraddle maturer ass (6)
  • 7.
    Engineer despaired, maintaining A&P vanished (11)
  • 11.
    Modifies spots around apartment (6)
  • 12.
    Where some Arabs ride might make Mecca balk (9)
  • 13.
    Vehicle running over one Italian composer (6)
  • 15.
    Holds study group about piano (6)
  • 17.
    Those who draw looms (6)
  • 18.
    Gold cat, a 2,000-pound robot (9)
  • 19.
    Strangely tetrasporic life form of the Jurassic (11)
  • 20.
    Alarm about frigate's last cargo (7)
  • 21.
    Rival tossed pen on top (8)
  • 23.
    Rocky pile on Greek peak (6)
  • 24.
    Asks about popular creatures (6)
  • 26.
    Approximately under piece of tree trunk (5)
  • 28.
    Marginally puzzling type of sleigh (4)
  • 29.
    Traces very excited jailbirds (8)