wordplay - A special word-play crossword

Vertical
1. I could be cash but a key buggered me.
3. Go spell!
4. Quiet! Not inside!
5. She was standing behind the arc.
6. A whole of 10.!

7. Apparantly, everyone needs reputation and food. Hopefully, they don't mix them.
9. A sweet upper clothing.
11. A hell of an operating system.
12. An inspiration for artists entertains literally (5)
13. A boss weighs a lot.
14. Voting with a musical instrument contaminates (7)
15. A marine child sticks spices. (6)
16. A donkey set with an acquisition. (5)

Horizontal
2. An owl saved me from the frying pan

8. Many traps. Or was it the other way around?
10. Super short, yet super long.

PS. For clarity, I have added the letter count to the cryptic clue ones.

Answer

1= Monkey (@dcyfj)
2 = Egg Ego (@dcfyj)
3 = Gospel (@BeastlyGerbil)
4 = Shout (@MOehm)
5 = Archer (@MOehm)

6 = Cholera (@Will)
7 = Repeat (@MOehm)
8 = Strap (@Sconibulus)
9 = Sugarcoat (@Will)
10 = Era (@Sconibulus)
11 = Helios (@Sconibulus)
12 = Amuse (@Sconibulus)
13 = Boston (@Sconibulus)
14 = Pollute (@Will)
15 = Season (@MOehm)

16 = Asset (@RandAl'Thor)

Here's an image version:

The blue words spell out:

YOU ARE THE BEST

But because I didn't get many This should regarded as a message to all mentioned above