get the hint

To get the hint is to understand an indirect message or unspoken suggestion, picking up on what someone means without being told directly.

If someone keeps checking their watch while you're talking, you might get the hint that they need to leave.

The phrase often appears in negative constructions when someone fails to read social cues: He just won't get the hint that she's not interested.

Getting the hint requires attentiveness to context and subtext rather than explicit statements.