Crossword puzzle clue "wall street slump or a hint to the starred entries' starts"

Wall Street slump, or a hint to the starred entries' starts

He said "Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting"

Strong poker hand ... or what the starts of the starred entries are, spelling-wise (but not sound-wise!)

Small-minded, or unable to get a one-word final answer from the starred entries' starts

What you'll be after reading the starts of the starred entries?

Lock horns . . .or, when read another way, a hint to three pairs of starred entries in this puzzle

Alan of Federal Reserve fame, or a hint to the hues that bookend the starred entries

Raze . . . or a hint to the three-letter words hidden in the starred entries