indirect request
- noun
:
petición indirecta
- During the meeting, Sarah made an indirect request for more support by saying, "It would be great if someone could help us tackle this project together."
- an indirect request for information
It benefited us to not be connected or to hit pause to a tune when someone else is making a direct or indirect request of us.
- It benefited us to not be connected or to hit pause to a tune when someone else is making a direct or indirect request of us.
Examples
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Rather than ask Iago directly, Othello employs an indirect request for information, suggesting iconically the distance that now exists between himself and Iago.
Academic text (2005) -
Othello goes from direct to indirect requests for information in a strategic attempt to get Iago to explicate what he does not like.
Academic text (2005) -
With this particular indirect request, Othello shows himself prepared to explore the dangerous realm of opinion or notion rather than that of fact.
Academic text (2005) -
Ultimately, Othello employs a commissive as an indirect request for information: "By heaven, I'll know thy thoughts" (3.3.162).
Academic text (2005) -
Othello next represents Desdemona's response to his stories, which culminates not only in the physical act of kissing but also in the indirect request or hint from Desdemona herself that she would want to be wooed by a man who had experienced what Othello had experienced.
Academic text (2005) -
He hinted at an indirect request for a break by saying how tired he felt after working late every night.
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When Maria asked if anyone had time to chat about their weekend, she was making an indirect request for someone to initiate a conversation.
How Indirect
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'indirect' (not direct) modifies 'request' (an asking), so the meaning 'a request expressed without stating it directly' follows directly from the constituent meanings. This adjective+noun pattern is common across languages and standard English, so a B1 learner who knows both words should readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Indirect request comes from the simple idea of giving a hint instead of asking directly. For example, saying 'It's cold in here' instead of 'Please close the window' is an indirect, not direct, request, an 'ask for something' by hinting, so the phrase means asking without saying it directly.