---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nora: \"How do you feel?\" Nick: \"Terrible…"
description: "\"Nora: \"How do you feel?\" Nick: \"Terrible. I must've gone to bed sober.\" — Dashiell Hammett"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/dashiell-hammett-3863_bed_nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-mus_33211.png"
---

#  Nora: "How do you feel?" Nick: "Terrible. I must've gone…

![“Nora: &quot;How do you feel?&quot; Nick: &quot;Terrible. I must've gone to bed sober.” quote by Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/dashiell-hammett-3863_bed_nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-mus_33211.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/dashiell-hammett-3863_bed_nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-mus_33211.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/dashiell-hammett-3863_bed_nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-mus_33211.png)

> “Nora: "How do you feel?" Nick: "Terrible. I must've gone to bed sober.”

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A dialogue exposing emotional numbness and the desperate need for escape through substance use.

**In simple terms:** Emotional emptiness and reliance on alcohol.

Key Takeaway

Desperation leads to self‑destructive habits.

Themes

despair addiction communication psychology loneliness

Mood

melancholy reflective

Type

dialogue conversational

When to use this quote

- after a traumatic event
- during a breakup
- in a depressive episode
- when confronting personal failure

Key Concepts

emotional coping substance dependence interpersonal dynamics

Practical Applications

- mental‑health counseling
- addiction awareness campaigns

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives someone to seek solace in alcohol?
- How does emotional silence affect relationships?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bed/) [Bed Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bed-sober-433046/) [Feel Nick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-nick-433047/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone/) [Nick Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nick-terrible-433049/) [Nora Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nora-feel-433048/) [Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sober/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/)

## Related quotes

> [And he that will go to bed sober, Falls with the leaf still in October.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-fo/and-he-that-will-go-to-bed-sober-falls-with-the-leaf-still-in-october/)

[Dario Fo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-fo/)

> [“He felt righteous and unashamed. He decided to go to bed sober.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-graham/he-felt-righteous-and-unashamed-he-decided-to-go-to-bed-sober/)

[Winston Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-graham/)

> [He who goes to bed, and goes to bed sober, Falls as the leaves do, and dies in October; But he who goes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fletcher/he-who-goes-to-bed-and-goes-to-bed-sober-falls-as-the-leaves-do-and/)

[John Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fletcher/)

> [Waking up drunk, going to bed sober, friend calls you and says that was the best party they ever gone to with you, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/waking-up-drunk-going-to-bed-sober-friend-calls-you-and-says-that-was/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [“How about a drop of something to cut the phlegm? Why don't you stay sober today? We didn't come to New York to stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/how-about-a-drop-of-something-to-cut-the-phlegm-why-don-t-you-stay/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/)

[Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/)

> [Sober alkies are often asked: "When did you hit rock bottom?" but a more informed question might be: "How many times did you hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/sober-alkies-are-often-asked-when-did-you-hit-rock-bottom-but-a-more/)

[Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/)

> [You know you're cool when it's cinco de mayo and you're in your pjs...Sober...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hyland/you-know-you-re-cool-when-it-s-cinco-de-mayo-and-you-re-in-your-pjs/)

[Sarah Hyland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hyland/)

> [At 62, I remain clean and sober and my ponytail remains erect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/at-62-i-remain-clean-and-sober-and-my-ponytail-remains-erect/)

[Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/)

> [I was sober for five years a long time ago and was just bored out of my tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/i-was-sober-for-five-years-a-long-time-ago-and-was-just-bored-out-of/)

[Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/)

> [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [I'm 12 years sober, so I don't have beer! When I used to drink I really liked Bass Ale!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-davis/i-m-12-years-sober-so-i-don-t-have-beer-when-i-used-to-drink-i-really/)

[Kristin Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-davis/)

> [“We were still twirling around the tiny parking lot when the neighbors screamed 'Happy New Year'. Unfortunately we weren't sober enough to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-scott/we-were-still-twirling-around-the-tiny-parking-lot-when-the-neighbors/)

[Kaitlin Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-scott/)

> [I was totally sober in college and really, really focused. I just took the time when other people might be partying and just made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-flay/i-was-totally-sober-in-college-and-really-really-focused-i-just-took/)

[K. Flay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-flay/)

> [Now I try to make efforts, you know, I'm just, the best effort I can do is just stay sober myself. I can at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/now-i-try-to-make-efforts-you-know-i-m-just-the-best-effort-i-can-do/)

[Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/)

## More by Dashiell Hammett

> [It's sometimes better to pretend I don't hear the sound of somebody in the nearby woods with a shotgun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/it-s-sometimes-better-to-pretend-i-don-t-hear-the-sound-of-somebody/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [“This damned burg's getting me. If I don't get away soon I'll be going blood-simple like the natives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/this-damned-burg-s-getting-me-if-i-don-t-get-away-soon-i-ll-be-going/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [“You know Quinn?" Macaulay asked me. "Ten minutes ago I was putting him to bed." Macaulay grinned. "I hope you keep his acquaintance like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/you-know-quinn-macaulay-asked-me-ten-minutes-ago-i-was-putting-him-to/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [“Gutman smiled benignly at him and said: “Well, Wilmer, I’m sorry indeed to lose you, and I want you to know that I couldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/gutman-smiled-benignly-at-him-and-said-well-wilmer-i-m-sorry-indeed/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [“...I guess I can put two and two together." "Sometimes the answer's four," I said, "and sometimes it's twenty-two...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-guess-i-can-put-two-and-two-together-sometimes-the-answer-s-four-i/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [A lot of fancier yarns come from people trying to tell the truth. It’s not easy once you’re out of the habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/a-lot-of-fancier-yarns-come-from-people-trying-to-tell-the-truth-it-s/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [Three times I have been mistaken for a prohibition agent, but never had any trouble clearing myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/three-times-i-have-been-mistaken-for-a-prohibition-agent-but-never/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [Listen, Dundy, it's been a long time since I burst into tears because a policeman didn't like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/listen-dundy-it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-burst-into-tears-because-a/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [“...What do people think about my staying with Harrison with him chasing everything that's hot and hollow?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/what-do-people-think-about-my-staying-with-harrison-with-him-chasing/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [“Don't be so damned patronizing. Your performance so far has been a little less than dazzling." "I didn't mean no harm," I said and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/don-t-be-so-damned-patronizing-your-performance-so-far-has-been-a/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [...What disturbed him was the discovery that in sensibly ordering his affairs he had got out of step, and not into step, with Life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/what-disturbed-him-was-the-discovery-that-in-sensibly-ordering-his/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [I haven't any sort of plans for the future but I reckon things will work out in some manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-haven-t-any-sort-of-plans-for-the-future-but-i-reckon-things-will/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [To get what he wanted, a man had to give other people what they wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/to-get-what-he-wanted-a-man-had-to-give-other-people-what-they-wanted/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [He felt like somebody had taken the lid off life and let him see the works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/he-felt-like-somebody-had-taken-the-lid-off-life-and-let-him-see-the/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [“I hope they don't hang you, precious, by that sweet neck. Yes, angel, I'm gonna send you over. The chances are you'll get off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-hope-they-don-t-hang-you-precious-by-that-sweet-neck-yes-angel-i-m/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

[Explore all 119 Dashiell Hammett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

## More Bed quotes

> [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/)

[Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/)

> [Your idea of fidelity is not having more than one man in bed at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-raphael/your-idea-of-fidelity-is-not-having-more-than-one-man-in-bed-at-the/)

[Frederic Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-raphael/)

> [The beginning of love is all about the butterflies, but the end of it is when you can't get out of bed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/the-beginning-of-love-is-all-about-the-butterflies-but-the-end-of-it/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

> [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I wish I had as much in bed as I get in the newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-wish-i-had-as-much-in-bed-as-i-get-in-the-newspapers/)

[Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/)

> [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/)

[Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/)

> [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [“In the parking lot, she drove and parked in a dark area with no other cars around. She reclined her seat, and listened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-lin/in-the-parking-lot-she-drove-and-parked-in-a-dark-area-with-no-other/)

[Tao Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-lin/)

> [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/)

[Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/)

> [I have to meditate before I go to bed, always. I have to let the day go and let the eternal in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bellamy-young/i-have-to-meditate-before-i-go-to-bed-always-i-have-to-let-the-day-go/)

[Bellamy Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bellamy-young/)

> [Sometimes by a woodland stream he watched the water rush over the pebbled bed, its tiny modulations of bounce and flow. A woman's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-by-a-woodland-stream-he-watched-the-water-rush-over-the/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/)

[Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/)

> [When I saw him I thought I could curl up inside him and go to sleep and never wake up." "Men are no good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/when-i-saw-him-i-thought-i-could-curl-up-inside-him-and-go-to-sleep/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

> [I always wanted to be a movie star. I thought it meant being famous and having breakfast in bed. I didn't know you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-allyson/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-movie-star-i-thought-it-meant-being-famous/)

[June Allyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-allyson/)

[Browse all 4,159 Bed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bed/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Nora: \"How do you feel?\" Nick: \"Terrible. I must've gone to bed sober.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dashiell Hammett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-must-ve-gone-to-bed-sober/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bed"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-must-ve-gone-to-bed-sober/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/dashiell-hammett-3863_bed_nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-mus_33211.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/dashiell-hammett-3863_bed_nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-mus_33211.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/dashiell-hammett-3863_bed_nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-mus_33211.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Nora: \"How do you feel?\" Nick: \"Terrible. I must've gone to bed sober.” — Dashiell Hammett",
                "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": "Dashiell Hammett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Nora: \"How do you feel?\" Nick:...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-must-ve-gone-to-bed-sober/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/nora-how-do-you-feel-nick-terrible-i-must-ve-gone-to-bed-sober/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
