He's been 'dropping hints' that he'd like to be invited to the party. [=he has been saying things that show that he wants to be invited]
When she told me how much work she had to do, I 'got/took the hint' [=I understood what she was suggesting] and left.
He's been 'hinting at' the possibility of running for mayor. = He's been 'hinting at' a mayoral run.
(..) I'm much more suited to being the guy from the FAA analyzing wreckage. Hi. Hi. Hello. So what are you supposed to be? Me? I'll give you a hint. A choo-choo train? Close! A brain damaged choo-choo train? How wasted am I? I still don't get it. (..)2007 TvShow: The Big Bang Theory Title: The Middle Earth Paradigm Season: 1 Episode 6