1. A method of data processing in a processor supported by a memory hierarchy, said method comprising: during execution of program code, the processor detecting whether a load instruction within the program code is associated with a hint; in response to detecting that the load instruction is not associated with a hint, retrieving a full cache line of data from the memory hierarchy into the processor in response to the load instruction; and in response to detecting that the load instruction is associated with a hint, retrieving a partial cache line of data into the processor from the memory hierarchy in response to the load instruction.