173 Fun Facts About The Simpsons

On which street do the Simpsons live, at number 742?

Evergreen Terrace is also the dead-end street where Matt Groening grew up; he borrowed the name, and early episodes gave the house other numbers before 742 stuck.

What instrument does Lisa Simpson play?

Lisa's saxophone is a baritone, and a flashback episode shows how she got her first one: during a heatwave Homer spent the $200 he had saved for an air conditioner on it.

What is the Simpsons' baby daughter rarely seen without?

A pacifier, and she fights for it: when the Ayn Rand School for Tots confiscates every baby's, she leads a Great Escape-style raid to win them all back.

What color is Marge Simpson's hair?

Marge's blue beehive was meant to hide a secret: Matt Groening planned to reveal rabbit ears under it in the final episode, a gag scrapped early as too silly even for this show.

Which US president said American families should be "a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons"?

George H. W. Bush said it in a January 1992 speech; three days later, before a rerun, Bart replied, 'Hey, we're just like the Waltons. We're praying for an end to the Depression, too.'

Who is Bart's best friend?

Milhouse Van Houten is Bart's loyal best friend. Matt Groening picked the name because Milhous was Richard Nixon's middle name and he thought it the most unfortunate name he could give a kid.

What is the name of the Simpsons' neighbor?

Ned Flanders is the Simpsons' next-door neighbor. The devout Christian and annoyingly cheerful Ned is famous for his "Hi-diddly-ho, neighborino!" greeting.

In 'Cape Feare', what does Sideshow Bob step on again and again?

Rakes: the script had him tread on just one, but the episode was running short, so the writers kept the gag going, rake after rake, to fill the time.

Which ever-changing joke ends The Simpsons' opening credits as the family arrives home?

The couch gag has been handed to guest artists including Banksy, whose 2010 version imagined the show's merchandise being made in a grim sweatshop.

Which pair are Homer's best friends and workmates at the nuclear plant?

Lenny and Carl blur together so badly for Homer that he keeps a reminder written on his hand: 'Lenny = white, Carl = black'.

Which garment does Homer wear after gaining weight to work from home?

A muumuu covers him once he tops 300 pounds, and the bulk ends up saving the day: he falls into the hatch of a gas tank about to burst and his belly plugs the leak.

Which media mogul's network launched The Simpsons in 1989?

Rupert Murdoch's Fox network was only three years old; in a 1999 Super Bowl episode he voiced himself, turning up to throw Homer's gang out of his skybox.

Who shot Mr. Burns in the famous two-part episode?

Maggie Simpson fired by accident: the old tycoon tried to take her lollipop, his own gun slipped from its holster into her hands and went off, then fell under the car seat.

Which Saturday Night Live star voiced both Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz?

Phil Hartman's two characters were retired rather than recast after his death in 1998, and now turn up only as silent background cameos.

Which Matt Groening comic strip caught James L. Brooks's eye and led to The Simpsons?

Life in Hell starred rabbits; rather than sign those characters away for television, Groening kept them and sketched a brand-new family while he waited for the pitch meeting.

Which real-life presidency did the 2000 episode "Bart to the Future" appear to foretell?

Donald Trump's presidency is the budget crunch President Lisa inherits; writer Dan Greaney later said it 'just seemed like the logical last stop before hitting bottom', and news media revived the gag in 2015.

What is Groundskeeper Willie's nationality?

Scottish was the third accent tried: Willie was written as just an angry janitor, and his voice actor was turned down as a Spaniard and as a 'big dumb Swede' before the angry Scotsman stuck.

What record does The Simpsons hold in US television history?

Longest-running animated program is one record among several: in 2018 its 636th episode also passed Gunsmoke as America's longest-running scripted primetime series, and opened with a parody of that western's titles.

Which voice actress plays both Marge and her twin sisters Patty and Selma?

Julie Kavner also voices the twins' mother; her contract says she never has to promote the show on video, because she feels that being seen 'destroys the illusion' of Marge.

Which actor voices Moe, Chief Wiggum and Comic Book Guy?

Hank Azaria has played all three since the early seasons; in 2020 he announced he was stepping away from another of his roles, Apu, because of the stereotypes it perpetuated.

Which Frasier star voices Sideshow Bob?

Kelsey Grammer modelled Bob's voice on Ellis Rabb, a theatre director he once worked for; his Frasier co-stars David Hyde Pierce and John Mahoney later joined him as Bob's brother and father.

What is Chief Wiggum's first name?

Clancy Wiggum was designed to look like a pig as a conscious pun on his job, and his voice is an impression of gangster-film star Edward G. Robinson, adopted after a slower first attempt was dropped.

What is Homer's middle name?

Homer's middle name is Jay, revealed in 1998's 'D'oh-in' in the Wind'; the initial J is a nod to Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel, whose J honored creator Jay Ward.

What traps Springfield in The Simpsons Movie?

A dome is only the start: when the trapped town turns on the barrier, EPA chief Russ Cargill tricks the president into approving a plan to blow Springfield up.

What is Apu Nahasapeemapetilon's country of origin?

Apu is from India: he graduated first in a class of seven million at 'Caltech', the Calcutta Technical Institute, before earning a computer-science PhD at the Springfield Heights Institute of Technology.

What is the three-eyed fish found near the nuclear plant called?

Blinky ends a run for governor: the plant's owner defends the mutant on the campaign trail until Marge serves him one for dinner and he spits it out in front of the cameras.

Matt Groening named the show's Springfield after a real Springfield in which US state?

Oregon's Springfield was the one Groening pictured as a boy watching Father Knows Best; he kept the state to himself for years so that every viewer could think it was their Springfield.

Which famous physicist has guest-starred on The Simpsons multiple times?

Stephen Hawking was written in because the writers needed someone smarter than all of Springfield's Mensa members and had heard he was a fan; he has voiced himself in four episodes.

Which Christmas episode launched The Simpsons as a half-hour series in December 1989?

Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, written by cartoonist Mimi Pond, went out first only because animation problems delayed the episode that was meant to open the series.

What is the real name of Springfield's sarcastic comic book store owner?

Jeff Albertson was dropped into a 2005 episode as a throwaway line; the showrunner said it was done specifically to make fans mad after years of the character going nameless.

Bart's prank collect call sparks a diplomatic row with which country?

Australia indicts Bart for fraud; when he flies in to apologise, its parliament demands a 'booting', a kick from an oversize boot, and the family flees to the US embassy.

In 'The Principal and the Pauper', what does the school principal's real name turn out to be?

Armin Tamzarian admits he took a missing army sergeant's identity; when the real man comes home, the town ships him out on a freight train and a judge rules the name must never be mentioned again.

What is the name of the chasm Homer plummets into in 'Bart the Daredevil'?

Springfield Gorge almost gets jumped: Homer rides the skateboard off the edge by accident, falls just short and hits every rock on the way down, then tumbles in again when his ambulance crashes.

Which jazz musician is Lisa Simpson's idol and mentor?

Bleeding Gums Murphy explains his nickname by saying he has never been to a dentist, having enough pain in his life already; he lifts Lisa's gloom in season 1 and dies in season 6.

In 'Homer to the Max', which new TV show has a hero who shares Homer's name?

The show is Police Cops. When its Homer Simpson is rewritten from suave detective to bumbling idiot, the real Homer changes his name to Max Power to escape the mockery.

Which actor voices both Mr. Burns and Ned Flanders?

Harry Shearer announced in May 2015 that he was leaving the show in a contract dispute, which would have silenced both men; two months later he signed on again, on the same terms as his castmates.

What is the name of Krusty's chain-smoking chimpanzee sidekick?

Mr. Teeny is the seventh chimp to hold the job, by Krusty's own count, and the boss has admitted that he still pines for the third.

What is Marge Simpson's maiden name?

Marge's maiden name is Bouvier, shared by her twin sisters Patty and Selma and her mother Jacqueline, a jokey echo of first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

In The Simpsons Movie, what does Homer dump in Lake Springfield that causes an environmental disaster?

Pig droppings fill a whole silo, thanks to Homer's new pet pig; told to get rid of it safely, he hears that a doughnut shop is giving its stock away and tips the lot into the lake to save time.

Which superhero is the title star of Bart's favorite comic book?

Radioactive Man gets a Hollywood film in one episode, shot in Springfield itself; the production collapses when the local boy cast as the hero's sidekick tires of the long hours and quits.

Which smooth-talking salesman cons Springfield into buying a faulty monorail?

Lyle Lanley flies off with the town's money, but his plane makes an unscheduled stop in North Haverbrook, a town he had already fleeced, where the locals storm aboard and attack him.

Who wrote the famous "Marge vs. the Monorail" episode?

Conan O'Brien wrote it during two years on the staff; in 1993 he left the show to take over NBC's Late Night from David Letterman.

Which long-lost half-brother of Homer runs a Detroit car company?

Herb Powell, voiced by Danny DeVito, lets Homer design a car for the average American; the overpriced monstrosity that results bankrupts Powell Motors.

Which real astronaut joins Homer's space shuttle crew in 'Deep Space Homer'?

Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the Moon, voices himself; in the story NASA recruits an average man like Homer because its shuttle launches have been sinking in the TV ratings.

Hank Scorpio, Homer's friendly boss in "You Only Move Twice", is secretly what?

A supervillain in the James Bond mould, Scorpio seizes the East Coast by the end; as thanks he sends Homer the Denver Broncos, though Homer had wanted the Dallas Cowboys.

What condition did Paul McCartney require for his guest appearance on The Simpsons?

That Lisa stay vegetarian for the rest of the series was the price Paul and Linda McCartney set for appearing in season 7; the show has kept the promise, and 'Maybe I'm Amazed' plays over the credits.

Which reclusive writer is credited with more Simpsons episodes than anyone else?

John Swartzwelder wrote fifty-nine episodes; after season 4 he worked from home, where he had a diner booth installed to write in.

Which Simpsons character was killed off in 2000 by a volley from T-shirt cannons at a speedway?

Maude Flanders was written out after her voice actress left in a pay dispute; the T-shirts were meant for Homer, who bent down for a bobby pin at the wrong moment.

In the shorts and earliest episodes, Homer's voice was a loose impression of which actor?

Walter Matthau was the loose model in the shorts and the first season; from season 2 Homer's voice actor let it grow into a stronger voice that could carry a wider range of emotions.

How old is Bart Simpson?

Bart is 10 years old and in the fourth grade; the family famously never ages, so he has been 10 since the show's 1989 debut.

Which Simpsons episode was the first full-length one produced, yet aired last in season 1?

Some Enchanted Evening was meant to launch the show in autumn 1989, but its animation came back so poor that the premiere slipped to December behind the Christmas special, and it closed season 1 instead.

Which individual served as the primary showrunner for The Simpsons from season 13 through season 32?

Al Jean first ran the show with Mike Reiss in seasons 3 and 4, left to create The Critic, and returned as sole showrunner in season 13, later sharing the job with Matt Selman.

Where do Marge's chain-smoking twin sisters work?

The Springfield DMV is where Patty and Selma gleefully fail Homer's chauffeur test; moments later he saves their jobs by telling their supervisor the cigarettes they were caught with are his.

Which of these catchphrases is most famously associated with Bart Simpson?

'Ay caramba!' were also Bart's first words: a flashback shows him blurting them out as a baby when he walks in on his parents at the wrong moment.

Which numbered area of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant is Homer's workstation?

Sector 7G is where Homer once stopped a meltdown by picking the override button with a counting rhyme, and was hailed as a hero for what was pure blind luck.

Which Oscar-nominated 2012 short film pits Maggie against a glaring, unibrowed baby?

The Longest Daycare played in cinemas before Ice Age: Continental Drift; Maggie spends it shielding a caterpillar from her nemesis, Baby Gerald, who squashes butterflies with a mallet.

How does Frank Grimes, Homer's hard-working nemesis in "Homer's Enemy", meet his end?

Electrocution claims Grimes after Homer wins a design contest meant for children: he snaps, mimics Homer's habits and grabs high-voltage wires without safety gloves. Homer dozes off at the funeral.

Kang and Kodos, the drooling aliens of the Halloween specials, come from which planet?

Rigel VII is home to Kang and Kodos, who have turned up in every Halloween special, if only for a cameo; Kodos is named after Kodos the Executioner, a villain in the original Star Trek.

In 'Lisa the Iconoclast', Jebediah Springfield turns out to be a pirate who tried to kill which president?

George Washington fought off the pirate Hans Sprungfeld, who later took a new name and founded the town; Lisa finds his written confession hidden inside his fife.

How was Homer's "D'oh!" written in the original Tracey Ullman Show scripts?

(annoyed grunt) is still how the scripts and even some episode titles render it; Homer's voice actor first drew the sound out, and Matt Groening had him speed it up to suit animation's timing.

In what year was Homer's "D'oh!" added to the Oxford English Dictionary?

The OED added 'doh', without the apostrophe, in 2001. It had already entered The New Oxford Dictionary of English in 1998, and TV Land ranked it sixth among the 100 greatest TV catchphrases in 2006.

Marge's voice actress won an Emmy as Brenda Morgenstern on which spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show?

Rhoda cast her as Valerie Harper's younger sister; she was later a regular on the sketch show that spawned the Simpsons shorts, so its producers asked her to voice Marge rather than hire another actor.

Which actress lends her voice to the character of Bart Simpson?

Nancy Cartwright went in to audition for Lisa, decided Bart was the more interesting part and asked to read for him instead, and was given the role.

Who provides the voice for Lisa Simpson?

Yeardley Smith went in to read for Bart in 1987, but casting director Bonita Pietila thought her voice too high and gave her Lisa instead.

Which actor voices Springfield mob boss Fat Tony?

Joe Mantegna has voiced Fat Tony since his 1991 debut in 'Bart the Murderer', in which Bart stumbles into the mobster's Legitimate Businessman's Social Club.

What is the name of the left-handed goods store Ned Flanders opens?

Ned opens The Leftorium, a mall store for left-handers, in 'When Flanders Failed'; it nearly goes bust until Homer, who had wished for its failure, drums up customers.

What is the name of the elephant Bart wins in a radio contest?

Stampy is the elephant Bart wins from KBBL in 'Bart Gets an Elephant'; the family cannot afford to feed him, and Homer nearly sells him to an ivory dealer before he goes to a wildlife reserve.

Which Springfield celebrity greets viewers with 'You may remember me from such films as…'?

Troy McClure was named after B-movie actors Troy Donahue and Doug McClure; when his voice actor died in 1998, the show retired the character rather than recast him.

After a contest among US Springfields, The Simpsons Movie premiered in which state?

Vermont's Springfield edged out Springfield, Illinois in an online vote on USA Today's site, and the filmmakers walked a yellow carpet instead of a red one at the premiere.

Which secret society makes Homer its 'Chosen One' in 'Homer the Great'?

The Stonecutters, a Freemason parody led by Number One (Patrick Stewart), crown Homer the Chosen One because of his birthmark; their song 'We Do' boasts of keeping Atlantis off the maps.

What is the name of the convenience store run by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon?

The Kwik-E-Mart spoofs chains like 7-Eleven, which turned the joke around by converting real stores in the US and Canada into Kwik-E-Marts selling Buzz Cola and Krusty-O's to promote the Simpsons film.

To which religion does Lisa Simpson convert in season 13?

Lisa converts to Buddhism in season 13's 'She of Little Faith', guided by Richard Gere as himself, after losing faith in the First Church of Springfield's corporate-sponsored rebuild.

What is the name of Homer and Marge's pet dog?

Santa's Little Helper, a greyhound, was abandoned by his owner for finishing last in a race, and Homer and Bart took him home as the family's Christmas present in the very first episode.

What is the name of the wealthy, elderly owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant?

Charles Montgomery Burns, often referred to as Mr. Burns, is Springfield's richest and most powerful citizen, known for his extreme miserliness and catchphrase 'Excellent.'

What is the profession of Krusty's estranged father, Hyman Krustofsky?

Krusty's father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, disowned him for going into comedy; Krusty was born Herschel Krustofsky on Springfield's Lower East Side, and Bart and Lisa reunited the two in 'Like Father, Like Clown'.

What colour is the Simpsons' cat Snowball II?

Black, though the name came from a white first Snowball; when Snowball II was run over in season 15, Lisa went through Snowball III and Coltrane before adopting an identical cat and reusing the name.

Which Hollywood legend voiced Maggie's first word, "Daddy", in "Lisa's First Word"?

Elizabeth Taylor recorded Maggie's 'Daddy' for the 1992 episode; Maggie says it only after Homer has put her to bed and shut the door, so no one in the family hears her first word.

Which schoolteacher marries Ned Flanders in season 23?

Edna Krabappel, Bart's fourth-grade teacher, was voiced by Marcia Wallace; after Wallace died in 2013 the producers retired the character rather than recast her.

What is the name of Homer's Grammy-winning barbershop quartet?

The Be Sharps (Homer, Apu, Skinner and Barney) spoof the Beatles: Barney replaces Chief Wiggum as Ringo replaced Pete Best, and George Harrison turns up at the party after their Grammy win.

Which recurring character owns The Android's Dungeon?

Comic Book Guy, sneering proprietor of The Android's Dungeon, was partly inspired by a Los Angeles bookshop clerk who lorded over his store from a high stool, eating fried clams behind the counter.

Which Springfield woman briefly married Sideshow Bob, who then tried to kill her in 'Black Widower'?

Selma's marriage to Sideshow Bob ended when Bart foiled his murder plot; her later husbands include Lionel Hutz, Troy McClure, Disco Stu and, briefly, Grampa Simpson.

Moe's voice began as an impression of which star of The Godfather?

Al Pacino's bank robber in Dog Day Afternoon was the model: Moe's voice actor was using that voice to play a drug dealer on stage when he auditioned, and the producers asked him to make it more gravelly.

A city tourist board threatened to sue Fox after the Simpsons' 2002 trip to which country?

Brazil: 'Blame It on Lisa' showed Rio de Janeiro as a city of crime, slums and rats, so its tourist board threatened legal action and the show's executive producer issued an apology.

What is the title of the annual Halloween special episodes of The Simpsons?

Treehouse of Horror takes its name from the first special in 1990, the only one actually set in the treehouse, where Bart and Lisa swap scary stories.

What was Lisa's first word, revealed in the episode 'Lisa's First Word'?

Lisa's first word is 'Bart', said to the brother who spent the episode resenting her; Homer is then crushed when she calls him 'Homer' rather than 'Daddy'.

Which character is the love interest and eventual wife of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon?

Manjula was promised to Apu in an arranged match when they were children; he fakes a marriage to Marge to escape it in 'The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons', then is won over when he meets her.

What is the name of the driver of Bart and Lisa's school bus?

Otto Mann had been driving the school bus without a licence: when a crash exposes it in 'The Otto Show', he is suspended and moves in with the Simpsons.

Which Springfield resident is a nerdy, socially inept scientist and inventor?

Professor Frink's voice was ad-libbed as an impression of Jerry Lewis's Julius Kelp in The Nutty Professor, and the writers reshaped the character to match, turning him from evil to merely mad.

Which Springfield doctor is known for chuckling at inappropriate moments, usually at bad news?

Dr. Hibbert was first written as a woman, Julia Hibbert; when Fox moved the show opposite The Cosby Show, the writers remade him as a spoof of Bill Cosby's Dr. Huxtable.

Which neighbouring town is Springfield's long-standing rival?

The town was founded in 1796 by Shelbyville Manhattan after he split with Jebediah Springfield over the right to marry one's cousins. In 'Lemon of Troy' its residents steal Springfield's lemon tree.

What is the name of the news anchor for Channel 6 in Springfield?

Kent Brockman anchors the Channel 6 news and hosts 'Eye on Springfield' and 'Smartline'; his 'I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords' line from 'Deep Space Homer' became an internet meme.

In "Mr. Plow", which of Homer's friends launches the rival snow-plough business Plow King?

Barney Gumble launches Plow King with a jingle sung by Linda Ronstadt and takes Homer's customers; Homer tricks him onto Widow's Peak, rescues him from the avalanche, and a heatwave then melts both businesses.

Who took over as Krusty's sidekick after Bob was jailed for framing Krusty?

Sideshow Mel, real name Melvin Van Horne, replaced Bob; he wears a bone through his hair and speaks in florid Shakespearean cadences off the air, but on camera communicates only with a slide whistle.

Which schoolyard bully is known for his mocking 'Ha-ha!' laugh?

Nelson Muntz debuted as the villain of season 1's 'Bart the General', where Bart ends his reign of terror by raising an army of classmates armed with water balloons.

What colour is the dress Marge Simpson usually wears?

Green is Marge's everyday colour; in 'Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield' she swaps the dress for a marked-down Chanel suit, and it wins her an invitation to the country club.

Which video game does Bart shoplift in 'Marge Be Not Proud'?

Bart pockets Bonestorm at the Try-N-Save and is caught by store detective Don Brodka; after he makes amends, Marge gives him Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge instead.

Which old-time greeting does Mr. Burns use to answer the telephone?

Ahoy-hoy is a joke about his great age: 'ahoy' was the telephone greeting Alexander Graham Bell proposed, before Thomas Edison's 'hello' caught on instead.

What is Bart Simpson's full first name?

Bartholomew JoJo Simpson is his full name; 'Bart' was picked because it is an anagram of 'brat', while the rest of the family were named after the creator's own relatives.

What is the name of Mr. Burns' beloved childhood teddy bear?

Bobo, the bear Burns left behind as a boy, resurfaces in 'Rosebud' as Maggie's toy; the Citizen Kane parody has Burns fail to buy or seize it until Maggie sees his distress and lets him have it.

Which Japanese dish-soap mascot looks exactly like Homer in 'In Marge We Trust'?

Mr. Sparkle, a detergent mascot found on a box at the dump, turns out to be a merger of a smiling fish and a lightbulb logo, so the resemblance to Homer is pure coincidence.

What was the title of the very first Simpsons short, broadcast on April 19, 1987?

'Good Night' turns bedtime into dread: Bart frets about the mind, Lisa about bed bugs and Maggie about the falling cradle in 'Rock-a-bye Baby'; it was the first of 48 shorts made before the half-hour show.

How old is Lisa Simpson?

Lisa is 8 years old and in the second grade; like the rest of the family she never ages, having been 8 since the show's 1989 debut.

What is the name of Selma's pet iguana?

Jub-Jub was Aunt Gladys's iguana, left in her will to the twins' mother; after a chaotic day minding Bart and Lisa at Duff Gardens, Selma decides he is all the baby she needs.

Which catchphrase makes Bart briefly famous in 'Bart Gets Famous'?

'I didn't do it' turns Bart into a one-line celebrity after he wrecks a set in a Krusty sketch; the audience soon tires of the line, and Krusty tells him he is finished.

What is the name of Homer's bowling team in 'Team Homer'?

Homer's Pin Pals (Homer, Apu, Moe and Otto) enter the league on a $500 cheque Mr. Burns signed while loopy on ether; Burns then takes Otto's place, and they win the championship anyway.

What is the secret ingredient in the Flaming Moe cocktail?

Cough syrup went in by accident when Homer mixed the dregs of his liquor bottles, and ash from Patty's cigarette set the drink alight; Moe steals the recipe and Aerosmith play the bar.

Which talking doll does Lisa create in 'Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy'?

Lisa Lionheart, voiced by Lisa herself, is built with Malibu Stacy's creator Stacy Lovell to replace lines like 'Don't ask me, I'm just a girl'; a Malibu Stacy with a new hat crushes it.

Which pop superstar voiced a psychiatric patient in 'Stark Raving Dad' under the pseudonym John Jay Smith?

Michael Jackson, a fan who had phoned the show's creator to offer a guest spot, voiced Leon Kompowsky, a patient who believes he is Jackson; a soundalike sang the character's songs.

Who composed the iconic theme music for The Simpsons?

Danny Elfman composed the theme in 1989 and has called it the most popular piece of his career; Alf Clausen, not Elfman, scored the individual episodes for 27 seasons.

Which ultra-violent cartoon-within-a-cartoon do Bart and Lisa love to watch?

Itchy & Scratchy flips Tom and Jerry: the mouse is the aggressor, and Itchy maims or murders Scratchy the cat in sketches that usually last under a minute.

What is Dr. Nick Riviera's common greeting?

'Hi, everybody!' always draws a chorus of 'Hi, Dr. Nick!'; the quack's accent began as his voice actor's bad impression of Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy.

What does Lisa name the pony Homer buys her in 'Lisa's Pony'?

Lisa names the pony Princess; to afford her, Homer takes a night job at Apu's store, and Lisa gives Princess up once she sees how exhausted he is.

What is the name of Springfield's baseball team?

The Springfield Isotopes are the town's minor-league club; after Homer went on hunger strike against their secret move to Albuquerque, that city's real new team took the Isotopes name.

What is Mayor Quimby's first name?

Joe Quimby, a spoof of the Kennedys, lost the mayor's office to Sideshow Bob in one 1994 episode, until Bart and Lisa proved Bob had won with the votes of dead people and pets.

Who voiced Homer's spirit guide, the Space Coyote, in 'El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer'?

Johnny Cash voiced the Space Coyote, who tells Homer to find his soulmate after Guatemalan insanity peppers at the chili cook-off send Homer hallucinating.

In which episode does Principal Skinner serve Superintendent Chalmers 'steamed hams'?

'Skinner & The Superintendent' is a vignette in 1996's '22 Short Films About Springfield': Skinner passes off Krusty Burgers as 'steamed hams' while his kitchen burns, a scene that became a meme.

Which Springfield gossip's catchphrase is 'Won't somebody please think of the children'?

Helen Lovejoy, wife of Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, wails it whenever the town panics, and the line is now quoted, often ironically, well beyond the show.

What is the title of Kirk Van Houten's demo cassette in 'A Milhouse Divided'?

Kirk's self-produced tape 'Can I Borrow a Feeling?' fails to win back Luann at the end of 'A Milhouse Divided', the episode in which their marriage collapses over a game of Pictionary.

Which Springfield holiday involves driving snakes into the square and clubbing them?

Whacking Day, held on May 10, sees townsfolk club snakes in the square; Lisa and Bart expose it as a fraud invented as an excuse to beat up the Irish, with Barry White guest-starring as himself.

What is the name of Homer's mother?

Mona, voiced by Glenn Close, was named after the wife of writer Richard Appel; in 'Mother Simpson' Lisa grows suspicious when Mona hides from a passing police car.

In 'Last Exit to Springfield', Homer leads a plant strike to keep which benefit?

The dental plan is what Burns wants to scrap; Homer only joins the fight after 'Dental plan!' and 'Lisa needs braces!' echo in his head until he connects the two, then leads the strike as union president.

What is Grampa Simpson's first name?

Abraham was the writers' choice: the show's creator named the family after his own relatives but left Grampa's name to the staff, who unknowingly picked the name of his real grandfather.

Which animation house drew The Simpsons domestically before Film Roman took over in 1992?

Klasky Csupo animated the shorts and the first three seasons, and its colourist Gyorgyi Peluce is the one who made the characters yellow; the studio went on to create Rugrats.

In 2009, Marge Simpson became the first cartoon character to appear on the cover of which magazine?

Playboy gave her the cover of its November 2009 issue. In 2005 she had fronted a hair-styling advert in which her famous beehive was swapped for a sleeker look.

TV Guide's list of the 50 greatest cartoon characters ranked Homer Simpson second behind which Looney Tunes star?

Bugs Bunny took first place on the 2002 list. The Sunday Times was more generous still, calling Homer the greatest comic creation of modern times.

Which nuclear-plant executive assistant in The Simpsons owns the world's largest collection of Malibu Stacy dolls?

Waylon Smithers also runs the Malibu Stacy fan club. His first name was borrowed from the puppeteer Wayland Flowers.

Which Simpsons second-grader, known for baffling non-sequiturs, falls for Lisa after she gives him a pity valentine?

Ralph was named after Ralph Kramden, Jackie Gleason's character in The Honeymooners. The writers only later decided he was the son of the town's top cop.

Marge Simpson's towering beehive was partly modelled on the title character of which classic Universal horror film?

Bride of Frankenstein supplied half of the look. The rest came from the 1960s hairstyle of Margaret Groening, the woman the character is named after.

In an early Simpsons episode, Homer believes he has a day to live after eating which poisonous sushi delicacy?

Pufferfish, served as fugu, has toxic organs that must be cut away. Homer's was sliced by an apprentice because the master chef was busy behind the restaurant.

Which Austrian action star in The Simpsons, a parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger, plays the gun-toting cop McBain?

Rainier Wolfcastle only got a name of his own after a real 1991 film called McBain came out and its producers refused to let the show keep using the title.

Which Beatle answers Marge Simpson's teenage fan letter decades late in the episode 'Brush with Greatness'?

Ringo Starr, whose portrait she had painted as a schoolgirl, praises the picture in his reply. He was the first of the band to guest on the show; two bandmates followed later.

Which Simpsons character earned a Yale law degree and a Harvard medical degree before collapsing from exhaustion at 32?

Crazy Cat Lady, whose real name is Eleanor Abernathy, decided at eight to be both a doctor and a lawyer, and had both degrees by the age of 24.

In 'King-Size Homer', why does Homer Simpson deliberately eat his way up to a weight of 300 pounds?

To work from home, Homer has to count as disabled, and the plant sets that bar at 300 pounds. His real aim is to escape a new compulsory morning exercise programme.

Which fourth-grade teacher's pet in The Simpsons was voiced for 30 seasons by Russi Taylor, Disney's Minnie Mouse?

Martin Prince kept Russi Taylor's voice until her death in 2019. She had also been Minnie Mouse for 33 years and was married to the voice of Mickey.

Which of Homer Simpson's power-plant co-workers turns out to have been raised in Iceland by adoptive parents?

Carl Carlson's origins drive 'The Saga of Carl', in which he vanishes to Iceland with his friends' lottery winnings. The band Sigur Rós scored the episode.

Which wizened, nearly blind Simpsons character keeps having his driving licence revoked because of his cataracts?

Hans Moleman started out under a different name and was rechristened when a writer noticed that he looked like a mole man.

Which Simpsons character, Springfield's resident hillbilly, first appeared gawking at Bart's pet elephant?

Cletus Spuckler heads a sprawling brood with his wife Brandine, though one episode casts doubt on whether more than two of the children are his.

Which recurring Simpsons felon is forever being arrested in Springfield yet rarely stays locked up for long?

Snake made his debut unnamed in 'The War of the Simpsons', wearing the prisoner number 7F20, which was that episode's own production code.

Which Simpsons character began as a rummage-sale joke about a rhinestone jacket slogan that ran out of room?

Disco Stu exists because Homer once spelled out a boast in rhinestones, made the letters too big and had no space left for the final letter.

Which costumed star of a Spanish-language slapstick sitcom in The Simpsons parodies Mexico's El Chapulín Colorado?

Bumblebee Man was created because the writers found the Mexican original on screen whenever they tuned to Univision. His suit was based on a Saturday Night Live sketch.

Which pipe-smoking Simpsons regular runs The Frying Dutchman, a failing all-you-can-eat restaurant that Homer once sued?

The Sea Captain, whose full name is Horatio McCallister, keeps liquor inside his peg leg. Homer sued after being thrown out of the buffet while he was still hungry.

Which jaded Simpsons schoolteacher, worn down by years in the system, has Lisa as the star of her second-grade class?

Miss Hoover seemed proud of her brightest pupil in early episodes. Later seasons show her so bored that she smokes while teaching, once beneath a no-smoking sign.

Which purple-haired identical twins in Bart Simpson's class speak a private language of their own invention?

Sherri and Terri are the daughters of the plant supervisor who fires Homer in 'Homer's Odyssey' for crashing a cart while waving to his son on a school tour.

Which sweet-toothed German exchange student in The Simpsons was left behind on a Civil War field trip?

Üter then vanished from the show for so long that it became a running joke, and his parents eventually arrived from Germany to ask the principal where their son was.

Which Simpsons school bully wears a purple knit cap and a T-shirt emblazoned with a menacing skull?

Jimbo Jones has a softer side: he spends one teachers' strike at home sipping tea over soap operas, and his real first name turns out to be Corky.

Which Simpsons heavyweight boxing champion, a parody of Mike Tyson, nearly flattens Homer in 'The Homer They Fall'?

Drederick Tatum grew up in Springfield, won Olympic gold in 1984 and was so feared in prison that he could end a riot just by telling the rioters to be quiet.

Which luckless Simpsons salesman was written as a spoof of Jack Lemmon's Shelley Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross?

Gil Gunderson was meant to appear once, in 'Realty Bites', but his voice actor was so funny at the table read that the writers kept finding excuses to bring him back.

Which Simpsons character in a white cowboy hat and bolo tie fires two revolvers into the air whenever he is happy?

Rich Texan was once jailed when one of his stray celebratory bullets hit a Texas Ranger. Despite the drawl, episodes have given his home state as New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Which Simpsons psychotherapist's failed electroshock session with the family ends with him refunding double their fee?

Dr. Marvin Monroe was retired after season seven because voicing him strained the actor's throat. Homer had pawned the family television to pay for that first session.

Which job title has Homer Simpson held at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant for most of the show's run?

Safety inspector was a promotion: in the third episode Homer is fired for crashing a cart, campaigns against the plant's dangers and is hired back to keep him quiet.

In the Emmy-winning Simpsons episode 'HOMR', what do doctors find lodged in Homer's brain, dulling his intelligence?

A crayon had been stuck there since Homer was six, when he pushed sixteen up his nose and sneezed out all but one. Once it is removed he is so unhappy that he begs to have it put back.

Which Hollywood star voiced Mindy, the co-worker who tempts Homer Simpson in 'The Last Temptation of Homer'?

Michelle Pfeiffer's performance was singled out by critics as one of the show's best guest turns. Homer's first sight of Mindy makes him picture Botticelli's The Birth of Venus.

Which waitress and country singer does Homer Simpson discover in a bar and go on to manage in 'Colonel Homer'?

Lurleen Lumpkin was voiced by Beverly D'Angelo, who wrote two of the character's songs herself in an hour. It is the only episode with a solo writing credit for the show's creator.

Which short-lived cartoon character does Homer Simpson voice before producers clumsily kill the newcomer off?

Poochie is a dog with attitude who surfs, raps and plays electric guitar, added to win back younger viewers. The producers soon decide to kill him off, dubbing over Homer's voice to do it.

Which cult film director voiced the collectibles-shop owner Homer Simpson befriends in 'Homer's Phobia'?

John Waters played a character who shares his first name. Fox's censor at first ruled the episode unsuitable for broadcast, a decision reversed after a change of staff.

Homer Simpson's best-known exclamation was borrowed from James Finlayson, the regular comic foil in which duo's films?

Laurel and Hardy cast Finlayson in 33 films, where he used the sound as a polite stand-in for a swear word. Homer's voice actor first drew it out, then clipped it to suit the pace of animation.

Which film star turned down the role of Tom, Bart's mentor in The Simpsons episode 'Brother from the Same Planet'?

Tom Cruise was the producers' first choice for the Bigger Brother whom Bart acquires from an agency meant for fatherless boys. One of the show's frequent guest voices took the part when he said no.

In The Simpsons episode 'Brother from the Same Planet', where is Bart left waiting in the rain for Homer to collect him?

Soccer practice leaves Bart so furious that he signs up with the Bigger Brothers Agency, a parody of Big Brothers of America that pairs fatherless boys with adult role models.

In 'Brother from the Same Planet', what habit of Lisa Simpson's sends the family's monthly phone bill soaring?

Calling a teen-idol hotline lets her hear the voice of Corey, a heart-throb blended from the actors Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. She promises to stop, then switches to other people's phones.

Which Oscar winner voiced Mr. Bergstrom in The Simpsons' 'Lisa's Substitute' under the pseudonym Sam Etic?

Dustin Hoffman was unsure about being identified with a cartoon, as many early guest stars were, so he hid behind the alias. The episode nods to his film The Graduate.

In the subplot of The Simpsons episode 'Lisa's Substitute', which school office does Bart campaign for and lose?

Class president slips away because Bart is so sure of winning that he throws a victory party at recess and never votes. Nor do most classmates, so his rival wins with just two votes.

In 'Lisa's Substitute', which illness does Lisa Simpson's regular teacher wrongly believe she has caught?

Lyme disease is what she announces to the class before taking leave for the rest of the year. She is soon back at her desk, the illness having been psychosomatic.

In The Simpsons episode 'Much Apu About Nothing', which wild animal wandering into Springfield sets off the plot?

A brown bear, docile and merely curious, scares the town into funding a Bear Patrol equipped with stealth bombers. The mayor then blames the resulting tax rise on immigrants.

In 'Much Apu About Nothing', what would Springfield's Proposition 24 do to the town's illegal immigrants if passed?

Deport them: the measure would force them out of Springfield. Homer ends up tutoring his friend the shopkeeper, whose student visa ran out years ago, for a citizenship test.

In The Simpsons episode 'A Fish Called Selma', a fading actor stars in a stage musical version of which sci-fi film?

Planet of the Apes becomes a song-and-dance show whose big number the staff count among the best the series ever wrote. Its composer had worked as a copyist on the original film.

Which Jurassic Park star voiced the Hollywood agent MacArthur Parker in The Simpsons episode 'A Fish Called Selma'?

Jeff Goldblum had to record his lines a second time at a faster speed, because the leads spoke so slowly that the episode ran several minutes too long.

Which job does Marge Simpson take in 'The Springfield Connection', then quit in disgust at her colleagues' corruption?

Police officer Marge busts a counterfeit-jeans ring, then resigns when her fellow officers keep the seized jeans to wear themselves, leaving no evidence to hold the ringleader.

Marge Simpson's tall hair was originally meant to hide what, a nod to her creator's comic strip Life in Hell?

Rabbit ears were to be revealed in the very last episode. The gag was scrapped early on as too far-fetched even for this show.

Which comedian and film-maker voiced Jacques, the instructor who woos Marge Simpson in 'Life on the Fast Lane'?

Albert Brooks returned to the role more than thirty seasons later. The original episode won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.

Which wealthy former classmate, Marge Simpson's prom date, later offers a million dollars for a weekend with her?

Artie Ziff makes the offer in 'Half-Decent Proposal', by which time he is the fifth-richest man in America. Marge agrees only to pay for a cure for Homer's snoring.

After her crusade against cartoon violence, Marge Simpson refuses to protest a touring show of which nude sculpture?

Michelangelo's David strikes her as a masterpiece, which forces her to concede on television that it is hypocritical to censor cartoons while defending the statue.

In the Simpsons episode 'Fear of Flying', Marge's phobia is traced to discovering that her father did which job?

Flight attendant was the job he had hidden by claiming to be a pilot. Her therapist, voiced by Anne Bancroft, assures her that he could be considered a pioneer.

In 'The Twisted World of Marge Simpson', which snack does Marge sell from a franchise wagon outside the power plant?

Pretzels come with a franchise she buys using the $500 an investment club handed back when it threw her out. The man who sells it to her is voiced by Jack Lemmon.