Crossword Genius

The potman accepts hard work by Rodin (3,7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

the thinker

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'rodin' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are singular nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'the potman accepts hard work' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
an anagram of 'the' is 'het' which is located in the answer.
'hard' could be 'h' (abbreviation used in pencil classifications) and 'h' is present in the answer.
'work' could be 'tinker' (tinkering is a kind of working) and 'tinker' is found in the remaining letters.
This accounts for all the letters.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

'by' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for the thinker that I've seen is " Famous sculpture by Rodin".)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.