--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't put': Hiccup in charge, sir…" description: "\"“You can't put': Hiccup in charge, sir, he's USELESS.”\" — Cressida Cowell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/cressida-cowell-7158_cowell_you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s_2056599.jpg" --- # You can't put': Hiccup in charge, sir, he's USELESS. ![“You can't put': Hiccup in charge, sir, he's USELESS.” quote by Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/cressida-cowell-7158_cowell_you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s_2056599.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/cressida-cowell-7158_cowell_you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s_2056599.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/cressida-cowell-7158_cowell_you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s_2056599.jpg) > ““You can't put': Hiccup in charge, sir, he's USELESS.”” [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote humorously critiques an incompetent leader, highlighting the absurdity of entrusting responsibility to the unfit. **In simple terms:** Incompetent leaders are absurd. Key Takeaway Question authority before delegating. Themes leadership competence humor Mood lighthearted critical Type satirical inspirational When to use this quote - team projects - management decisions - leadership training Key Concepts organizational behavior authority incompetence Questions to Reflect On - What criteria define competence? - How can you spot unfit leaders? A Different Perspective Not all leaders are suitable for all tasks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowell/) [Hiccup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiccup/) ## Related quotes > [“Toothless crossed his eyes and made a gulping noise with his throat as if he was swallowing ... "AAAAAAARGH!" screamed Hiccup. Toothless spat Ziggerastica…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/toothless-crossed-his-eyes-and-made-a-gulping-noise-with-his-throat/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“He says he comes in peace," said Hiccup "He's still going to kill us, though.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/he-says-he-comes-in-peace-said-hiccup-he-s-still-going-to-kill-us/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“K-k-keep your helmet on. T-t-toothless doing his BEST.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/k-k-keep-your-helmet-on-t-t-toothless-doing-his-best/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“OUTCASTS! R-R-RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, YOU S-S-SSTUPID H-H-HUMANS!!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/outcasts-r-r-run-for-your-lives-you-s-s-sstupid-h-h-humans/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Well, suffering swordfish," exclaimed Fishlegs. "Hiccup is LEFTHANDED.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/well-suffering-swordfish-exclaimed-fishlegs-hiccup-is-lefthanded/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“The first Dragon was enough to give you nightmares. The second Dragon was enough to give your nightmares nightmares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/the-first-dragon-was-enough-to-give-you-nightmares-the-second-dragon/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“What you g-g-gonna do, tough guy? Tickle Toothless to d-d-death?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/what-you-g-g-gonna-do-tough-guy-tickle-toothless-to-d-d-death/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“My poison is creeping through his body. My strong venom is killing his heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/my-poison-is-creeping-through-his-body-my-strong-venom-is-killing-his/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Hiccup followed him carefully ... and fell over again. "BRAVO!" clapped Alvin, to Hiccup's surprise. "But I fell over again" said Hiccup. "But with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/hiccup-followed-him-carefully-and-fell-over-again-bravo-clapped-alvin/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [That is a terrible plan." "Hiccup's plans are always t-terrible." "Hey! You're still here, aren't you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/that-is-a-terrible-plan-hiccup-s-plans-are-always-t-terrible-hey-you/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Happy and giggly and bustly, the Hogfly ignored Hiccup’s strangled cries of: “Hoglfy! Come back here, Hogfly!” “Ooh!” it squeaked in delighted confusion. “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/happy-and-giggly-and-bustly-the-hogfly-ignored-hiccup-s-strangled/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [Hiccup: Thank You For Nothing You Stupid Reptile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/hiccup-thank-you-for-nothing-you-stupid-reptile/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Thank you for nothing, you stupid reptile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/thank-you-for-nothing-you-stupid-reptile/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Oh for Thor's sake,' said Camicazi in exasperation. 'Have you not hung around with him for long enough to know that you never give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/oh-for-thor-s-sake-said-camicazi-in-exasperation-have-you-not-hung/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Quitting is a hiccup for losers. And down they go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenz-font/quitting-is-a-hiccup-for-losers-and-down-they-go/) Lorenz Font ## More by Cressida Cowell > [Most of us are lucky not to be Kings and Heroes, because we do not have to make the choices that Kings and Heroes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/most-of-us-are-lucky-not-to-be-kings-and-heroes-because-we-do-not/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“WARNING Any Relationship to any historical fact WHATSOEVER is entirely coincidental. You have been WARNED”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/warning-any-relationship-to-any-historical-fact-whatsoever-is/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Come on, Fishlegs,” whispered Camicazi, whistling happily. “You know we have to do this. Besides, I feel like a bit of exercise. We’ve been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/come-on-fishlegs-whispered-camicazi-whistling-happily-you-know-we/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [For a Hero cannot triumph all the time. Sometimes he will be defeated, and how he faces that defeat is a test of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/for-a-hero-cannot-triumph-all-the-time-sometimes-he-will-be-defeated/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [The thing about grown ups is that they're always wanting you to be this Great Hero and Leader. What's wrong with being NORMAL, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/the-thing-about-grown-ups-is-that-they-re-always-wanting-you-to-be/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“The thing is, we are all, in a sense, supper. Walking, talking, breathing suppers, that's what we are. Take you, for instance. YOU are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/the-thing-is-we-are-all-in-a-sense-supper-walking-talking-breathing/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“And this was the surprising thing about life on Berk. It was a bit like the sea itself. One minute it was all storms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/and-this-was-the-surprising-thing-about-life-on-berk-it-was-a-bit/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“The dragon bracelet that Humongous created, out of misplaced love and gratitude, in the hellish nightmare of the Lava-Lout Jail-Forges is exquisitely made, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/the-dragon-bracelet-that-humongous-created-out-of-misplaced-love-and/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [The Hero cares not for a wild winter's storm. For it carries him swift on the back of the storm. All may be lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/the-hero-cares-not-for-a-wild-winter-s-storm-for-it-carries-him-swift/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“However bad things seem to be, they can always get worse!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/however-bad-things-seem-to-be-they-can-always-get-worse/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [I was not a natural. . . . This is the story of becoming . . . the Hard Way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/i-was-not-a-natural-this-is-the-story-of-becoming-the-hard-way/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [GO FOR HIS EYES! OR BITE HIM ON THE NOSE! DRAGON NOSES ARE VERY SENSITIVE!" Oh, very helpful, Camicazi, very helpful...thought Hiccup. What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/go-for-his-eyes-or-bite-him-on-the-nose-dragon-noses-are-very/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [Sometimes a King has to do terrible things in order to protect those he has sworn to look after. When the stakes are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/sometimes-a-king-has-to-do-terrible-things-in-order-to-protect-those/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Norbert the Nutjob may have been a maniac, but lunacy and genius are very close together, and it had to be admitted, he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/norbert-the-nutjob-may-have-been-a-maniac-but-lunacy-and-genius-are/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“the witch softly, ‘for the dragons’ days are numbered”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/the-witch-softly-for-the-dragons-days-are-numbered/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) [Explore all 89 Cressida Cowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) ## More Cowell quotes > [“Toothless crossed his eyes and made a gulping noise with his throat as if he was swallowing ... "AAAAAAARGH!" screamed Hiccup. Toothless spat Ziggerastica…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/toothless-crossed-his-eyes-and-made-a-gulping-noise-with-his-throat/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“What you g-g-gonna do, tough guy? Tickle Toothless to d-d-death?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/what-you-g-g-gonna-do-tough-guy-tickle-toothless-to-d-d-death/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“The first Dragon was enough to give you nightmares. The second Dragon was enough to give your nightmares nightmares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/the-first-dragon-was-enough-to-give-you-nightmares-the-second-dragon/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“He says he comes in peace," said Hiccup "He's still going to kill us, though.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/he-says-he-comes-in-peace-said-hiccup-he-s-still-going-to-kill-us/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Hiccup followed him carefully ... and fell over again. "BRAVO!" clapped Alvin, to Hiccup's surprise. "But I fell over again" said Hiccup. "But with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/hiccup-followed-him-carefully-and-fell-over-again-bravo-clapped-alvin/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“OUTCASTS! R-R-RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, YOU S-S-SSTUPID H-H-HUMANS!!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/outcasts-r-r-run-for-your-lives-you-s-s-sstupid-h-h-humans/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“K-k-keep your helmet on. T-t-toothless doing his BEST.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/k-k-keep-your-helmet-on-t-t-toothless-doing-his-best/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“Well, suffering swordfish," exclaimed Fishlegs. "Hiccup is LEFTHANDED.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/well-suffering-swordfish-exclaimed-fishlegs-hiccup-is-lefthanded/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) > [“My poison is creeping through his body. My strong venom is killing his heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/my-poison-is-creeping-through-his-body-my-strong-venom-is-killing-his/) [Cressida Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/) [Browse all 10 Cowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowell/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You can't put': Hiccup in charge, sir, he's USELESS.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cressida Cowell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s-useless/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cowell" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s-useless/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/cressida-cowell-7158_cowell_you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s_2056599.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/cressida-cowell-7158_cowell_you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s_2056599.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/cressida-cowell-7158_cowell_you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s_2056599.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't put': Hiccup in charge, sir, he's USELESS.” — Cressida Cowell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cressida Cowell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cressida-cowell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You can't put': Hiccup in charge,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s-useless/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cressida-cowell/you-can-t-put-hiccup-in-charge-sir-he-s-useless/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```