The Age Cryptic by LR #20,674

I had a wee struggle with this one but got there eventually. I had about half done before the rest of the clues became tricky. I'd go away and come back, get a couple, go away again and repeat until about 1pm when I finally got 16D and could finish the puzzle. I also got further along on a painting more than I expected.

Another unique grid, too. This puzzle has 33 questions which is odd, and not just literally but I've noticed most cryptic puzzles use an even number clues. I don't see a Nina unless a message to pals Una and Tia.

I had a few I wasn't sure of that I was later able to parse but I'm only left with 11A as the one clue I can't fully figure out. Here's my pic:

Sorry it's a bit yellow but I didn't take a pic during daylight and it's the overhead lights. I had to lean the puzzle against my computer or my shadow covered most of the page.

11A - Singer and muso Brian into opening couple of tracks (5)

With the cross letters and a feeling "muso Brian" was Brian ENO I put in TENOR. leaving just the T & R to parse. Which right now, hours later, I can see clear as day (even though I couldn't see it during actual day) it's from "couple of TRacks" meaning to take the first couple letters from tracks. So my scribbles of "couple" = Two and "tracks" = Rails is a step I didn't need to bother with. Ah well.

Sorry just a quick post. I didn't finish the DA last week either. I'll probably save it for tomorrow or Wednesday. Unless Paul is printed in the Guardian. Oh I did have a go at the Wall Street Journal's Cox & Rathvon puzzle which has a fun theme and I have to wait a week for the solution which means a week to solve. It has "The Seven Cryptic Dwarves" as a theme and all of the answers have been altered by a different dwarf. Not only do you have to solve the clue, you then have to apply one of the dwarves' mechanics to get the answer to enter into the grid. Have a go here! Thanks to Ganesh Nayak for sharing in CCS, always fun to spread torment.