Crossword Genius

Man's close relative leading parrot (5,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

great ape

'man's close relative' is the definition.
(relative of humanity)

'leading parrot' is the wordplay.
'leading' becomes 'great'.
'parrot' becomes 'ape' (both can mean to imitate).
'great'+'ape'='GREAT APE'

(Other definitions for great ape that I've seen before include "gorilla, say" , "chimpanzee, for example" , "orang-utan, for example" , "Close relative to humans" , "Gorilla, perhaps" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.