Compact crossword - The Scotsman 05/03/2012

Monday’s puzzle...
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Mar 2012, 00:00 BST

Across

1 Pompous (6)

4 Balm of Gilead (6)

9 Middle Easterner (7)

10 Trembling poplar (5)

11 Yawned (5)

12 Closely packed (7)

13 Climax (11)

18 Last points (7)

20 Enthusiasm (5)

22 Item of property (5)

23 Not attracting duties (7)

24 Keep of a medieval castle (6)

25 Constricting snake (6)

Down

1 Niggardly (6)

2 Bend in pipe (1-4)

3 Liberty (7)

5 Warning (5)

6 Female singer (7)

7 Brief note (6)

8 Cease (11)

14 Pure sin (anag) (7)

15 Very firmly (7)

16 Conveniently near (2,4)

17 Biblical river (6)

19 Halved (2,3)

21 Nearly 17 per cent (5)

Saturday’s solution

Across: 1 Secure, 4 Spiced, 9 Rusty, 10 Tallboy, 11 Vie, 12 Eliminate, 13 Ineffectual, 18 Play along, 21 Tie, 22 Ovation,

23 Oasis, 24 Teeter, 25 Impend.

Down: 1 Strive, 2 Cistern, 3 Rhyme, 5 Palmist, 6 Cobra, 7 Dryden, 8 Strikebound, 14 Fragile, 15 Artiste, 16 Sprout,

17 Leased, 19 Adage, 20 Gloom