--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you make ships in a bottle, I bet the…" description: "\"If you make ships in a bottle, I bet the thing that really makes your heart sink is when you look in, and there at the wheel is Captain Termite.\" — Jac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jack-handey-829_bottles_if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the_1597727.jpg" --- # If you make ships in a bottle, I bet the thing that really… ![“If you make ships in a bottle, I bet the thing that really makes your heart sink is when you look in, and there at the wheel is Captain Termite.” quote by Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jack-handey-829_bottles_if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the_1597727.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jack-handey-829_bottles_if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the_1597727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jack-handey-829_bottles_if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the_1597727.jpg) > “If you make ships in a bottle, I bet the thing that really makes your heart sink is when you look in, and there at the wheel is Captain Termite.” [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It humorously suggests that creating something beautiful (a ship) can hide deeper anxieties, symbolized by a threatening captain. **In simple terms:** Creating things can hide hidden fears. Key Takeaway Acknowledge hidden anxieties in creative work. Themes creativity psychology humor Mood playful thoughtful Type humorous reflective When to use this quote - writing - visual arts - therapy sessions Key Concepts self‑reflection inner critic artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What hidden fears surface in your projects? - How can you confront the 'captain' within? A Different Perspective May be overly metaphorical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ## Related quotes > [“Show them a stony heart and sink them with it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/show-them-a-stony-heart-and-sink-them-with-it/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [The smile I see on your face makes me melt the way you hold my hand makes my heart race the way you kiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanna/the-smile-i-see-on-your-face-makes-me-melt-the-way-you-hold-my-hand/) [Alanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanna/) > [Show honor now, show them a stony heart and sink them with it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-proctor/show-honor-now-show-them-a-stony-heart-and-sink-them-with-it/) [John Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-proctor/) > [Its amazing how quickly your mood can change, how deep your heart can sink and how much one person can affect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-amazing-how-quickly-your-mood-can-change-how-deep-your-heart-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's amazing how quickly your mood can change, how deep your heart can sink and how much one person can affect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-amazing-how-quickly-your-mood-can-change-how-deep-your-heart-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its amazing how quickly your mood change , how deep your heart can sink and how much one person can affect u .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiz/its-amazing-how-quickly-your-mood-change-how-deep-your-heart-can-sink/) [Kiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiz/) > [A lie is like termite which decrease the life of your relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin/a-lie-is-like-termite-which-decrease-the-life-of-your-relationship/) [Kevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin/) > [“You do realize that you are a termite. You are eating through my soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-amato/you-do-realize-that-you-are-a-termite-you-are-eating-through-my-soul/) [Mary Amato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-amato/) > [Agreement: I savage the name! I have to fill the hollowness of the termite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/agreement-i-savage-the-name-i-have-to-fill-the-hollowness-of-the/) Mak\_786 > [My family has always called me 'Lay Lay,' and my dad used to always call me 'Dynamite Termite' because I was really short and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lacey-chabert/my-family-has-always-called-me-lay-lay-and-my-dad-used-to-always-call/) [Lacey Chabert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lacey-chabert/) > [Are you a termite? 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Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Sometimes I wonder if I'm patriotic enough. 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I carry a bottle of water everywhere I go. I know people think I'm a nut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/i-m-really-addicted-to-water-i-carry-a-bottle-of-water-everywhere-i/) [Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/) > [Take that bottle to the head, and let me see you fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/far-east-movement/take-that-bottle-to-the-head-and-let-me-see-you-fly/) [Far East Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/far-east-movement/) > [History--the product, not the raw material--is a bottle with a label. For many years now, the emphasis of historical discussion has been laid upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-ascherson/history-the-product-not-the-raw-material-is-a-bottle-with-a-label-for/) [Neal Ascherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-ascherson/) > [Uh, I do not wear a wig in 'Star Trek' like I did in 'Bottle Shock,' thank God. 'Bottle Shock' will be the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/uh-i-do-not-wear-a-wig-in-star-trek-like-i-did-in-bottle-shock-thank/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [“The nice thing about crowds is that someone can throw a bottle and you don't take it personally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/the-nice-thing-about-crowds-is-that-someone-can-throw-a-bottle-and/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“The world was all magic, and he had a special bottle of it in his right hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-steig/the-world-was-all-magic-and-he-had-a-special-bottle-of-it-in-his/) [William Steig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-steig/) > [Cop: Ma'am, what's in the bottle? Me: Just some water. Cop: Ma'am that's wine... Me: Jesus did it again!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cop-ma-am-what-s-in-the-bottle-me-just-some-water-cop-ma-am-that-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“One day Orafoura and I were walking along and I turned and said, "I wish I could capture the weather in a bottle." Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/one-day-orafoura-and-i-were-walking-along-and-i-turned-and-said-i/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) Browse all 295 Bottle quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you make ships in a bottle, I bet the thing that really makes your heart sink is when you look in, and there at the wheel is Captain Termite.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Handey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the-thing-that-really-makes-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bottle" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the-thing-that-really-makes-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jack-handey-829_bottles_if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the_1597727.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jack-handey-829_bottles_if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the_1597727.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jack-handey-829_bottles_if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the_1597727.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you make ships in a bottle, I bet the thing that really makes your heart sink is when you look in, and…” — Jack Handey", "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": "Jack Handey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you make ships in a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the-thing-that-really-makes-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-make-ships-in-a-bottle-i-bet-the-thing-that-really-makes-your/#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 } } ] } ```