Mephisto 2836

[rayc]

21d) Severely hampered a string musician.(6)
I have H_R_ER.I'm not sure if it's HARPER or HARDER.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[1581960]

Looks as though you've been overlooked rayc.
To harp can be to hamper so your answer must be harper, one who plays a harp.

[Neveracrossword]

I thought it would be Harper as in someone who plays the harp, but my dictionary didn't give harp meaning hamper.

[1581960]

To harp on at

[TheFrogman]

Mr Moorey pushed the English language to its borders today - this is HARD ('severely') being 'hampered' (ie curtailed, cut short), leaving HAR, plus PER ('a', as in 'a pound a head') = HARPER. Hmm.

[Neveracrossword]

Frogman, thanks - that makes perfect sense. I was satisfied with my Harper, but would not have been able to justify it totally to anyone.