Jumbo puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 27, 2025
It took me some time to figure out what this puzzle is all about. Then it just hit me while I was doing something else. So, the theme is monkeys. And there are 12 of them in the grid (coloured aqua) following Terry Gilliam’s (55) great movie “12 Monkeys” (1 and 5).
There are three answers that are new terms to me: 26d (CAPE LOBSTER), 48 (GELADA) and 49 (ANTRA). My favourites are 15 (ANIMAL FARM), 29 (ANDERSEN), 38 (MARSHMALLOW) and 58 (HOWLER). I am unsure about my answer to 42 (RUSK?). I note that RHESUS (18 here) also figured in this weekend’s other crossword.
I thank BC for help in solving this. Compiling the puzzle must have taken a lot of work. So many thanks to Neo.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1/5 | TWELVE MONKEYS |
£6,000 for 55 work? (6,7)
|
| Double definition with the first referring to the slang usage of ‘monkey’ to mean £500 | ||
| 9 | MACAQUE |
Scotsman in Paris that American interrupts (7)
|
| MAC (Scotsman) + A (American) + QUE (in Paris that) | ||
| 14 | BALLET DANCER |
Pavlova perhaps bland mixed with treacle (6,6)
|
| Anagram (mixed with) of BLAND TREACLE. The definition must refer to Anna Pavlova who was one of the greatest ballerinas of the twentieth century. There is another Russian ballet dancer named Nadezhda Pavlova whom I saw on stage in the 1970s. | ||
| 15 | ANIMAL FARM |
Not an arable parable? (6,4)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 16 | PENITENT |
Person seeking forgiveness in prison, one cardinal inside (8)
|
| I (one) + TEN (cardinal) in (in) PENT (in prison) | ||
| 17 | ESSENCE |
Ancient ascetic hiding cold soul (7)
|
| C (cold) in (hiding) ESSENE (ancient ascetic) | ||
| 18 | RHESUS |
Hospital stops bringing back to life (6)
|
| H (hospital) in (stops) RESUS (bringing back to life) | ||
| 19 | PROBOSCIS |
No amateur master rounding Guernsey etc? (9)
|
| PRO (no amateur) + CI (Guernsey etc, i.e. Channel Islands) in (rounding) BOSS (master) | ||
| 21 | ELDER |
Ancestor’s wifeless worker at seam? (5)
|
| :[w]ELDER (wifeless worker at seam) | ||
| 23 | LAMBDA |
Letter from young Suffolk lawyer? (6)
|
| LAMB (young Suffolk) + DA (lawyer, i.e. District Attorney) | ||
| 24 | ATOM |
Little bit close to Vanessa Bell (4)
|
| [vaness]A + TOM (Bell, referring to the actor Tom Bell) | ||
| 25 | PANCETTA |
Pooch at first can’t eat chopped pork (8)
|
| P[ooch] + anagram (chopped) of CANT EAT | ||
| 27 | MANDRILL |
Mother Newton accompanies bore (8)
|
| MA (man) + N (newton) + DRILL (bore) | ||
| 30 | GUENON |
One’s turned in shooter (6)
|
| ONE (one) backwards in (in) GUN (shooter) | ||
| 31 | LYRIC |
London theatre players itch periodically (5)
|
| [p]L[a]Y[e]R[s] I[t]C[h] | ||
| 32 | EXPRESSION |
Feeling fast current — no going back (10)
|
| EXPRESS (fast) + I (current) + NO (no) backwards (going back) | ||
| 34 | CHATTERTON |
Talk idly to northern poet (10)
|
| CHATTER (talk idly) + TO (to) + N (northern) with the definition referring to the British poet Thomas Chatterton | ||
| 36 | CATER |
Ensure provision is made to do the dishes? (5)
|
| Double/cryptic definition | ||
| 37 | CAMBER |
Tilt pole for tossing across motorway (6)
|
| MI (motorway, i.e. the M1) in (across) CABER (pole for tossing) | ||
| 39 | MARMOSET |
Doctor holding limb firm (8)
|
| ARM (limb) in (holding) MO (doctor, i.e. Medical Officer) + SET (firm) | ||
| 41 | CAPUCHIN |
Beat guttersnipe lacking modicum of respect (8)
|
| CAP (beat) + U[r]CHIN (guttersnipe lacking modicum of respect) | ||
| 42 | RUSK |
Sustenance for baby from Welsh runner? (4)
|
| Double definition? I do not get the “Welsh runner” part. | ||
| 44 | BABOON |
Denunciation involves startling exclamation (6)
|
| BOO (startling exclamation) in (involves) BAN (denunciation) | ||
| 46 | IDEAL |
Model banker at table can say this (5)
|
| “I DEAL” (banker at table can say this) | ||
| 47 | ABOLISHES |
Gets rid of hassle — bio rewritten (9)
|
| Anagram (rewritten) of HASSLE BIO | ||
| 48 | GELADA |
Good boy immersed in running water (6)
|
| G (good) + LAD (boy) in (immersed in) EA (running water). ‘Ea’ is an Old English word for running water. | ||
| 50 | COLOBUS |
Company transport taking in Circle Line? (7)
|
| O (circle) + L (line) together in (taking in) CO (company) + BUS (transport). Does anyone remember “Catch Me A Colobus”? | ||
| 52 | MANGABEY |
Adult comic book earl tucked inside Times (8)
|
| MANGA (adult comic book) + E (earl) in (tucked inside) BY (times) | ||
| 54 | STRIPTEASE |
Tapestries restored where threads gradually removed? (10)
|
| Anagram of TAPESTRIES | ||
| 55 | TERRY GILLIAM |
MiG taken out with artillery he directs (5,7)
|
| Anagram (taken out) of MIG ARTILLERY | ||
| 56 | GREYLAG |
Dismal delay for airborne migrant (7)
|
| GREY (dismal) + LAG (delay) | ||
| 57 | HERMANN |
The guy she loves — new author Hesse (7)
|
| HER MAN (the guy she loves) + N (new) | ||
| 58 | HOWLER |
Ambassador right to embrace Member of Parliament (6)
|
| OWL (member of parliament) in (to embrace) HE (ambassador, i.e. His/Her Excellency) + R (right). ‘Parliament’ being the collective name for owls. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | WHALE |
Cetacean cry of woe heard (5)
|
| Homophone (heard) of “wail” (cry of woe) | ||
| 3 | LOLLIPOP MAN |
He’s paid to see one across? (8,3)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 4 | ENTREPOT |
One leaves intact vessel in storehouse (8)
|
| ENT[i]RE (one leaves intact) + POT (vessel) | ||
| 5 | MEANT |
Destined knight piercing flesh (5)
|
| N (knight) in (piercing) MEAT (flesh) | ||
| 6 | NUCLEUS |
Setter upset about ruined clue for kernel (7)
|
| Anagram (ruined) of CLUE in (about) SUN (setter) backwards (upset) | ||
| 7 | EUROSCEPTIC |
Mushroom en croute is cooked for Murdoch say (11)
|
| CEP (mushroom) in (en) anagram (cooked) of CROUTE IS | ||
| 8 | SPAIN |
Lionesses’ recent opponents s-suffering? (5)
|
| S (s) + PAIN (suffering) | ||
| 10 | ADAIR |
Red fire extinguisher? (5)
|
| Cryptic definition referring to Red Adair, a famous fighter of oil-well fires. | ||
| 11 | ALFRED MARKS |
Saxon king’s imprisoned character actor (6,5)
|
| MARK (character) in (imprisoned) ALFREDS (Saxon king’s). I remember Alfred Marks from such films as Desert Mice. | ||
| 12 | UNROUND |
Mazy run, and German receives ball, not spherical (7)
|
| Anagram (mazy) of RUN + O (ball) + UND (and German) | ||
| 13 | SIDE DRUM |
Rolls on this supported with drink (4,4)
|
| SIDED (supported) + RUM (drink) | ||
| 19 | PETRUCHKA |
Speak with Ruth trained for ballet (9)
|
| Anagram (trained) of SPEAK RUTH | ||
| 20 | CHAPLET |
Man allowed what laureate receives (7)
|
| CHAP (man) + LET (allowed) | ||
| 22 | DIALECTIC |
Face leader avoiding furious debate (9)
|
| DIAL (face) + [h]ECTIC (leader avoiding furious) | ||
| 23 | LENIENCE |
Bolshevik welcoming Eastern Church’s mercy (8)
|
| E (eastern) in (welcoming) LENIN (bolshevik) + CE (church) | ||
| 26 | CHRONICLE |
Liberal appears in very bad European history (9)
|
| CHRONIC (very bad) + L (liberal) + E (European) | ||
| 28 | LIONESSES |
Single ship is located outside for women’s team (9)
|
| ONE (single) + SS (ship) together in LIES (is located) | ||
| 29 | ANDERSEN |
Storyteller with Irish name (8)
|
| AND (with) + ERSE (Irish) + N (name) | ||
| 33 | PORTICO |
Left image unfinished in Painted Porch (7)
|
| PORT (left) + ICO[n] (image unfinished) | ||
| 35 | TEMPORARILY |
Polarimetry distorted for the time being (11)
|
| Anagram (distorted) of POLARIMETRY | ||
| 36 | CAPE LOBSTER |
Seafood parcels to be distributed (4,7)
|
| Anagram (to be distributed) of PARCELS TO BE | ||
| 38 | MARSHMALLOW |
Sweet product from Slough millions say yes to (11)
|
| MARSH (slough) + M (millions) + ALLOW (say yes to) | ||
| 40 | TAILCOAT |
Feline chasing dog to seize old garment (8)
|
| TAIL (dog) + O (old) in (to seize) CAT (feline) | ||
| 43 | FIENDISH |
Savage smashed fine crockery item (8)
|
| Anagram (smashed) of FINE + DISH (crockery item) | ||
| 45 | ABETTER |
A superior party offering support (7)
|
| A (a) + BETTER (superior) | ||
| 47 | AUSTRIA |
Regularly able to leave one country for another (7)
|
| AUSTR[al]IA | ||
| 49 | ANTRA |
Hollow areas in Appalachian Trail (5)
|
| Hidden word (in) | ||
| 51 | LEECH |
He played vampire child, bloodsucker (5)
|
| [Christopher] LEE (he played vampire) + CH (child) | ||
| 52 | MAYAN |
Month needed with an early South American (5)
|
| MAY (month) + AN (an) | ||
| 53 | EVADE |
Bill wearing First Lady’s skirt (5)
|
| AD (bill) in (wearing) EVE (first lady) |
Thanks Neo and Pete
Almost immediately after starting, it occurred to me that Neo should have told us how many of the across clues are thematic and without definition, and I was quite pleased to get 1ac early and find that he had indeed done just that.
42ac: is R(iver) USK.
52dn is an exact repeat of 25ac in Neo’s puzzle published on 12 December. Some people have claimed an error in the definition, but Chambers 2016 p945 gives us “Maya n a S American people of Central America and S Mexico who developed a remarkable pre-Columbian civilisation.” See further the discussion on this clue with the previous puzzle
https://www.fifteensquared.net/2025/12/12/financial-times-18237-by-neo/#more-202726
37ac has a slight error in the parsing, which should be just M in CABER.
My very sketchy knowledge of monkeys and a run of complicated clues made this difficult and time consuming for me. I should have stopped when I realised what was ahead of me, but I failed to see the instructions until I was well into the puzzle, at which stage my stubbornness took over. Constant reference to a list of monkeys after that did not make for a very enjoyable solve.
Aside from the obscure ALFRED MARKS, I finished and had it parsed (including RUSK, after extensive research). I thought Neo was a bit cheeky to repeat the flawed MAYAN. (PB@1, I remember what Chambers says, but 3 seconds internet research confirms they are people of S Mexico and N Central America). I ticked two clues: BALLET DANCER and STRIP TEASE.
Thanks Neo and thanks Pete for a great blog of a difficult puzzle
What a super jumbo puzzle from Neo! Unlike the previous festive puzzle, this one was a much tougher nut to crack but once I landed the director (55) and the first 1/5, MANDRILL, it was fun hunting down the others. A pleasantly chewy challenge which spanned the weekend in fits and starts.
Aside from the theme – which was cleverly done – there were so many great surfaces like those for STRIPTEASE, EUROSCEPTIC and PANCETTA.
Thanks to Neo and Pete for going the extra mile.