No 14029, Saturday 25 Nov 2023, Hypatia

ACROSS

1   In America growth has to be painful? (8) MUSTACHE {MUST ACHE}

5   Bones that are more rigid in the ear (6) STERNA (~sterner)

10 Play sitar with a new singer (7) SINATRA {SITAR+A+N}*

11 Break queues as students frequently leave in pairs with.. (7) EQUATES {brEak+QueUes+As+sTudEntS}

12 ..the rest returning right afterwards (5) LATER {ET AL<=}{R}

13 Curiously see him take up mobile language (9) EUPHEMISM {SEE+HIM}* over {UP} and {M}

14 Escape routes left a savvy criminal rest essentially (6,6) SAFETY VALVES {LEFT+A+SAVVY}*{rESt}

18 Brew for one feeling sick spreads relief etc. (6,6) FILTER COFFEE {OFF} in {RELIEF+ETC}*

21 Spare without unit cost (9) EXONERATE {EX}{ONE}{RATE}

23 Characters from Chennai display colour (5) HENNA [T]

24 Remains litigating for releasing (7) ISSUING {IS}{SUING}

25 Hate crop top shirts, desi silk pants (7) DISLIKE {DEsI+SILK}*

26 Flower bands Oriental wears (6) GANGES {GANG{E}S}

27 Discussed dance school's sagas (8) ODYSSEYS {(~odissi)ODYSSEY}{S}

DOWN

1   Drop recipe to make rasam with lead oddly in seasoning (6) MASALA {rASAM}*{LeAd}

2   Reason to put back money in state (6) SANITY {SA{TIN<=}Y}

3   Most anteaters left in the wild follow one another (9) ALTERNATE {ANTEATERs+L}*

4   Each Gen X in row (6,8) HEATED EXCHANGE {EACH+GEN+X}* [RA]

6   He curtly crosses over rest (5) TRUCE [T<=]

7   Rescue dog's tail cut (8) RETRIEVE RETRIEVEr

8   Like breed of cat scratching one's tongue (8) ASSAMESE {AS}{SiAMESE}

9   How scuba divers feel when insulted? (6,8) DEEPLY OFFENDED [CD]

15 Gems gathered in abandoned stash close to robbery (9) AMETHYSTS {MET} in {STASH+r...rY}*

16 Love fine heavy metal band's dedication (8) OFFERING {O}{F}{FE}{RING}

17 Lets angry in-laws look inside (6,2) ALLOWS IN {IN+LAWS}* over {LO}

19 Sound echoes in new rail tunnel regularly (6) ENTIRE {nEw+RaIl+TuNnEl<=}

20 Bets dogs are disheartened (6) WAGERS WAGgERS

22 Emiratis love indulging top expats, basically the crème de la crème (5) ELITE Acrostic

Reference List

New = N, Right = R, Mobile = M, Oriental = E, School = S, recipe = R, Left = L, Fine = F, Look = LO