Say what you mean the first time. Hints make people do your job of being clear.

A hint moves the work from you to the person listening. You keep the comfort of not having asked, and they get the task of guessing, with the blame waiting if they guess wrong. It can feel polite, but it is mostly a way of avoiding the risk of a direct no.

Pick one thing you have been circling and say it in a plain sentence this week. What you want, who you want it from, and by when. It will feel blunter in your mouth than it sounds in their ears, which is nearly always the case.