Split Second Decisions

by Foggy Brume
Answer: WHISPERS

This puzzle is based on George Bredehorn's Split Decisions puzzle type. In this puzzle, squares are to be filled so that words will be formed using either the top or bottom, or left or right, set of letters. e.g, the first across can be SMOCKS and SNACKS. Clues lead to words that can formed by taking one top and one bottom letter, or one left and one right letter (e.g., SMACKS in the example above).

SMACKS    T DUET   W
T  O PALE R I  R   I
I  N A    A L  ALDER
T  I Y  RUMBLE N   I
CONCH  P   A   STEIN
H  A   A   S A E   E
 ALLOYING  Q B C N S
  A    C   U U T U S
  X   WHISPERS   Z  
 L LOGION    I FUZZ 
 A I  T DEMAIN   L  
 M O  L I    GIBLETS
 BUNGLE C   C   O O 
 I    SWEETER   N D 
SCRIPPS S   E   E A 
Q  M        S MUSTY 
U  M     C  T   O
INLETS TARRIER  M
R  R T   O  DIAPERS  
T  S A   O   C   I  
 CLEATS  N   E   V  
     U SHE     ALEX 
     S   DAMNED  N

Every grid entry has a corresponding clue for it except one. From WHISKERS/WHIMPERS, one can extract in a similar manner WHISPERS, the answer to this puzzle.