11.   Perhaps the only hints of their affluence were vacations to far-off places and the new Cadillac they bought every two years.

12.   The afternoon sun overhead is as high as it ever gets at these latitudes, but an ocher smudge is the only hint of its existence.

13.   The only hint of a slide comes on an uphill sharp right turn from a dead stop.

14.   The only hint that something is wrong is that his skin is a mottled mauve.

15.   The only hint that there might be a mailed fist beneath the velvet came when Mrs. Clinton revealed which traps were used to catch mice in the White House.

16.   The only hint that this high-powered investment adviser is unlike her Wall Street peers is the unobtrusive aluminum dog dish behind her desk.

17.   The only hint of dissatisfaction with his receivers given by coach Bill Belichick was that he said some were running poor routes.

18.   The only hint there is an elevator is the call button placed next to a door that one assumes opens to another room.

19.   The only hint of discord was at the lunch, which was closed to reporters.

20.   The only hint of progress has been sporadic meetings in recent months between President Heydar Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Robert Kocharian of Armenia.