No 13333, Monday 23 Aug 2021, Avtaar

Solution to 23A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

1   A worker’s final remuneration including raise midway is frozen (6) ARCTIC {A}{w...eR}{CT{raIse}C}

5   Of late, Bill never hangs around with son (8) NOWADAYS {NO W{AD}AY<=}{S} 

9   Say, King John’s Hospital mess — in disarray? (8) CHESSMAN {CAN} over {H}{MESS*}

10 Record everyone’s memory (6) RECALL {REC}{ALL}

11 Hot, grilled, basic meals for highway (12) THOROUGHFARE {HOT*}{ROUGH}{FARE}

13 Swim, say, in river Beas (4) VERB [T] Definition by example

14 Cousin wearing shoes for squash (8) PUMPKINS {PUMP{KIN}S}

17 Man cuts belt and power supply crashes (5-3) SMASH-UPS {S{M}ASH}{UPS}

18 Cereal, say, for whiskeys (4) RYES (~rice)

20 Sort of cream with hypo... try this cold treatment (12) CRYMOTHERAPY {CREAM+HYPO+TRY}* 

23 Snooker played with one lacking skill (6) ?H?A?T (Addendum - THWART {WiTH}*{ART} - See comments)

24 Couple initially offer man loaded with rupees, a place to sleep for himself and partner (4,4) TWIN ROOM {TWIN}{R}{Of..r}{OM} (Addendum - {TW{INR}O}{Of..r}{M} - See comments)

25 These guides are not really adversaries (8) ADVISERS ADVERSarIeS* Semi&lit

26 Hello! Dad is savouring a piece of Hindustani music (3,3) HIP HOP {HI}{P{Hi...i}OP}

DOWN

2   In India, his time is not good, for starters (4) RAHU [CD]

3   Experimental equipment ends up in English river (4,5) TEST TUBES {TE{BUTTS<=}ES}

4   Big bosses have a thousand small roles to play (6) CAMEOS {C{A}{M}EOS}

5   Unable to focus on components I’m starting to solder imperfectly (3,6,6) NON COMPOS MENTIS {ON+COMPONENTS+IM+So...r}*

6   Hangman, say, in brawl about lady locking up girl (4,4) WORD GAME {ROW<=}{D{G}AME}

7   Meet date on the way up for coffee (5) DECAF {FACE}{D}<= 

8   British nanny, leaving North America returned amidst Christmas with brother... finally to become a leading actor (3,7) YUL BRYNNER {YUL{BR}{YNNan<=}E}{b...eR} Remember him as the android in Westworld

12 New embroidered apron kicked by playful Doberman pinscher getting soiled (10) BESMIRCHED {DoBErMan+pInSCHER}*

15 It makes locks secure, perhaps? (5,4) KIRBY GRIP [CD] Thanks to Google

16 Onscreen text that is suggestive about sex (8) SUBTITLE {SUBT{IT}LE}

19 Somewhat behind in math, Sita longs to move up (6) LATISH [T<=]

21 Avtaar wound up in a coastal metropolis (5) MIAMI {I}{MAIM}<=

22 Combat training centre’s after-party scrap? Time to go (4) DOJO {DO}{JOt}

Reference List

Remuneration = CTC(Cost to Company), Bill = AD, Son = S, John = CAN, Hospital = H, Shoes = PUMPS, Man = M, Rupees = INR, Thousand = M, Girl = G, Date = D, New = N, Sex = IT, Time = T