The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 14 letter word DADDY-LONGLEGS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
D
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More clues leading to the result DADDY-LONGLEGS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Spindly thing who can reach mummy's top shelves?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case spindly thing who can reach mummy's top shelves? = daddy-longlegs.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.