Cryptic crossword No 3,656

Special Instructions: Populating the grid will reveal a bonus ball which might be clued, "Somehow number one single in US is him?! Really gutted for British duo's singing"

Across

He has a guarantee for millions, I gather (8)
God, we're told, manages to make predictions for the future (10)
Guy gets a glimpse of underwear – saucy stuff! (4)
Sick of Streeting turning on party’s leader? (4)
Parents get hold of Hendrix regularly - they can talk to the dead (7)
After rape case, forensic training intensifies (10)
Arts supporters are slippery types when drunk (6)
The leaders of Luddism originally opposed mechanisation in weaving equipment (4)
Porcelain in Rome is sensational (7)
Nazis overcome Reds when fiendishly cunning (10)
You and I repeatedly consume superior port – it's exorbitant! (8)
Botanist repeatedly lacks time to develop horticultural technique (6)
An overwhelming increase in posh people owning diamonds (10)
US state university brought back mortarboard (4)

Down

Start to explore Sunday papers over coffee (8)
Primate gives bishop a lift (6)
State controls deployment of binmen in China’s capital (8)
Exercise a touch of restraint with German authority (6)
Infidel is a mix of 10 and 12 (6)
Heavy metal band creates a small disturbance in Minnesota (8)
Bloody sensible, drinking half of stout (8)
Bob, a name to conjure with - or Jack! (6)
Spice elevated fish in the Caribbean (6)
Opponents claim fries and coke, taken regularly, causes major damage (6)
Booze establishment you and I drink in extremely regularly (6)
Pavlova has energy for one dance (8)
After refusal of Chanel, for instance, smell rubbish! (8)
Disco this lad discovered in part of Greece (6)

Podger has provided annotated solutions for this crossword.

5 comments

Pentman

2 wk ago

Thanks Podger for another excellent crossword. I guessed the 'bonus ball' after solving a few clues which helped except for 5d which beat me entirely and had to reveal. I then had to refer to your annotations to see the parsing. Wasn't familiar with 2d but it was gettable. Too many favourited to mention.

Sisyphus

2 wk ago

Wow, you’ve done it again Podger! Time to copyright your formula I reckon. Fabulous gridfill with its obscurities justified and well-clued (although 5d beat me.) Quite a regular use of regular selections/deletions but overall really good clueing I thought, with faves being 7a, 10a (just!), 13a, 19a, 24a, 3d, 4d (clever!), 17d, & 20d. Thanks and congrats!

2 replies

Last reply 2 wk agoView thread

Mandolinho

6 days ago

Thanks Podger. Excellent crossword and fun bonus ball . Favourites 19ac (file under re use in a few years) and 2d (subject a political hot potato here in Brum for the past few years.) 5d new word for me but fairly clued and solved.

Cryptic crossword No 3,656

Tue 7 Jul 2026, set byPodger