Cryptic crossword No 490

7up, congratulations, that’s a super, professional-level crossword in my view. It could easily be a Guardian cryptic, which is my daily fix. Bark worse than bite, which I consider a sign of quality: there is clarity behind the deceptive surfaces. I gave it about 50 minutes and needed help with the last couple of clues; couldn’t quite get them, but no complaints when I saw the solutions. 14d, 3d is a ripper, one of many across a delightful grid, but will it work next season? Probably!

Great puzzle 7upislemonade! Really inventive. I was defeated in the end by 8D and 19D but enjoyed a lot along the way: 10A, 11A, 20A, 23A, 27A (sneaky), 2D, 5D and 14D 3D in particular.

Nice one, 7up - inventive and entertaining. Favourites for me were 13a, 28a, 29a, 17d, 22d - particularly liked the definition in 22d.

Really enjoyed this, some excellent definitions. Favourite clues were 11a 13a 15a 27a 5d 11d and 22d