Crossword Genius

Staff do nothing about instrument (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

mandolin

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'instrument' is the definition.
(mandolin is a kind of instrument)

'staff do nothing' is the wordplay.
'staff' becomes 'man' (manning is a kind of staffing).
'do nothing' becomes 'dolin' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'man'+'dolin'='MANDOLIN'

'about' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for mandolin that I've seen before include "Musical instrument like a small guitar" , "one's deployed in the kitchen" , "Almond in the stringed instrument, oddly" , "vegetable slicer" , "it has strings attached" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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