drop a hint
To allude to something in a subtle way; to give an indication of something without entirely saying it. Phil can be a little dense, so just tell him what you want for your birthday—you'll never get it if you only drop a hint.
drop a hint
Fig. to give a tiny or careful hint about something. Mary dropped a hint that she wanted a new ring for her birthday.
drop a hint (or drop hints)
let fall a hint or hints, as if casually or unconsciously.drop a ˈhint (to somebody)
, drop somebody a ˈhint
suggest something in an indirect way: He tried to drop a hint about it being time to leave, but they didn’t seem to take any notice.She’s dropped me a few hints about what she’d like for her birthday.