diff --git a/R/bubble.R b/R/bubble.R
index 86d2e19..512f9e7 100644
--- a/R/bubble.R
+++ b/R/bubble.R
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#' Speech bubble
+#' Thought/speech bubble/balloon
 #'
 #' @export
 #' @param x (character) a character vector
@@ -32,13 +32,28 @@ bubble <- function(x, width = 60, thought_sym = "o") {
       quote[i] <- paste0("|", string_pad(x[i], n + 4, "left"), "|")
     }
   }
-  thought <- c(
-    string_pad(thought_sym, floor((n + 4) / 3), "left"),
-    string_pad(thought_sym, floor((n + 4) / 3) + 2, "left")
-  )
+  thought <- .tail(n, thought_sym)
   c(empty_to_avoid_rlang_header, top, quote, bottom, thought)
 }
 
+#' Make the tail part of a thought bubble 
+#' @keywords internal
+#' @param max_char_length (numeric) length of the maximum line. this is used
+#' to determine how much whitespace padding to add to the left of
+#' `thought_sym`
+#' @inheritParams bubble
+#' @examplesIf interactive()
+#' .tail(59)
+#' cat(.tail(59), sep = "\n")
+#' cat(.tail(11), sep = "\n")
+#' cat(.tail(11, "%"), sep = "\n")
+.tail <- function(max_char_length, thought_sym = "o") {
+  c(
+    string_pad(thought_sym, floor((max_char_length + 4) / 3), "left"),
+    string_pad(thought_sym, floor((max_char_length + 4) / 3) + 2, "left")
+  )
+}
+
 string_pad <- function(string, n, side) {
   fmt <- switch(side,
     left = paste0("%", n, "s"),
diff --git a/man/bubble.Rd b/man/bubble.Rd
index 7d61d2b..075c842 100644
--- a/man/bubble.Rd
+++ b/man/bubble.Rd
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 % Please edit documentation in R/bubble.R
 \name{bubble}
 \alias{bubble}
-\title{Speech bubble}
+\title{Thought/speech bubble/balloon}
 \usage{
 bubble(x, width = 60, thought_sym = "o")
 }
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ default: "o"}
 character vector of length greater than the input \code{x}
 }
 \description{
-Speech bubble
+Thought/speech bubble/balloon
 }
 \note{
 modified from \url{https://github.com/schochastics/startifyR}
diff --git a/man/dot-tail.Rd b/man/dot-tail.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1198c55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/dot-tail.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/bubble.R
+\name{.tail}
+\alias{.tail}
+\title{Make the tail part of a thought bubble}
+\usage{
+.tail(max_char_length, thought_sym = "o")
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{max_char_length}{(numeric) length of the maximum line. this is used
+to determine how much whitespace padding to add to the left of
+\code{thought_sym}}
+
+\item{thought_sym}{(character) scalar character to use for the
+speech bubble tail (see \url{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_balloon}).
+default: "o"}
+}
+\description{
+Make the tail part of a thought bubble
+}
+\examples{
+\dontshow{if (interactive()) (if (getRversion() >= "3.4") withAutoprint else force)(\{ # examplesIf}
+.tail(59)
+cat(.tail(59), sep = "\n")
+cat(.tail(11), sep = "\n")
+cat(.tail(11, "\%"), sep = "\n")
+\dontshow{\}) # examplesIf}
+}
+\keyword{internal}