While trying to get Maggie to say her first word, Marge and Homer reminisce about Bart's and Lisa's first words.
Lisa's origin episode lands 84 jokes in 22 minutes—solid density, but heart outweighs laughs here.
Directed by Mark Kirkland · Written by Jeff Martin
WAR
58.8
Wins Above Replacement
“Lisas First Word” ranks #121 of 226 The Simpsons episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 79.2 — Elite. The episode packs 84 scored jokes at 4.4 per minute, averaging 6.8 on craft and 6.6 on impact, with Homer landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
Get weekly comedy rankings
Join comedy fans getting new analyses, score drops, and the funniest moments each week. Free, no spam.
Top Jokes
Daddy.
Maggie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Can't sleep. Clown'll eat me.
Bart Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback If you should die before you wake-- [Crazed Laughter]
My Cousin Frank did it. You don't have a Cousin Frank. He became Francine back in '76. Then he joined that cult. I think his name is Mother Shabubu now.
Got your nose. Got your wallet.
Bart Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 84 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Can you say 'get bent'?
Bart Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mr. Rogers says it all the time.
Bart Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Shove it. Shove it.
Bart Running Gag Character Comedy Did you hear that? She said 'burlap'.
Homer Character Comedy Absurdist 'Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.' [Thinking] What does that mean?
Homer Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch You better say something, or they'll think you're stupid. Takes one to know one! Swish!
Bart Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ¡Aye carumba!
Bart Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Ms. Pac-Man struck a blow for women's rights.
Marge Observational Absurdist ★ Rewatch A young Joe Piscopo taught us how to laugh.
Marge Observational Irony/Sarcasm Chipwich for sale! Chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin!
Youse guys wanna play stickball? Soitenly.
That Mike Farrell really boils my 'potata.'
Homer is what grown-ups call me. Call me Daddy.
Homer Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Domer. [Chuckles]
Bart Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Why, you little-- [Homer strangles Bart]
Homer Bart Physical/Slapstick Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Ah, he'll tire himself out soon.
Homer Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy They had 30 sons and 30 daughters. What were their names? Dennis, Brianna... Mavis, Brad--
What were their names? [Groans] Dennis, Brianna... Mavis, Brad--
The Coast Guard arrested Boy George for scraping the barnacles off his dinghy.
Got your nose. Got your wallet.
Bart Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch We're gonna start doin' it in the morning?
Homer Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Bye-bye, keys. [Flushing] [Yelling]
Who did this? - Baby. Bad baby.
The baby can have Bart's crib and Bart can sleep with us until he's 21.
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy My Cousin Frank did it. You don't have a Cousin Frank. He became Francine back in '76. Then he joined that cult. I think his name is Mother Shabubu now.
Once you get used to the smell of melted hog fat, you'll wonder how you ever did without it.
Mmm. Hog fat.
Homer Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Why buy a house when ye can buy a houseboat? Arr!
Once we get the cats out, it won't be too bad. Actually, according to the will, the cats own the house. You'd be their tenants.
That's real shag carpeting. Arr!
I wish we lived in the kitty house. I could've trained them to be my unholy army of the night. Go, my pretties. Kill! Kill!
Bart Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Dad, I have a problem. Why'd you come to me?
I don't know nothin'. I used to get by on my looks. Now they're gone, withered away like an old piece of fruit.
I was voted the handsomest boy in Albany, New York.
Grampa Character Comedy Running Gag You didn't build this house. You won it on a crooked '50s game show.
Homer Character Comedy Observational I ratted on everybody and got off scot-free.
Grampa Character Comedy Dark/Subversive So how long before you shipped Grampa off to the old folks' home? About three weeks.
Bart Marge Dark/Subversive Callback ★ Rewatch Callback I'll tell you about the time I got locked in the bank vault with Mr. Mooney. It was another one of my harebrained schemes. Wait a minute. That was The Lucy Show.
Homer Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Hey, Homer, this house sucks. Bart, I told you not to use that word. Call me 'Daddy'.
Bart Homer Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Buenos días, neighboritos. The handle's Flanders, but my friends call me Ned.
Who the hell are you?
Homer Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch And that 'little while' is now eight years and counting. [Chuckles]
Homer Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch It's not easy to juggle a pregnant wife and a troubled child, but somehow I managed to fit in eight hours of TV a day.
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Krusty Burger is the official meat-flavored sandwich of the 1984 Olympics!
Krusty Observational Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Coochy coochy coo! - Krusty funny. - Duh.
I almost swallowed some of the juice. I'll be tasting that for weeks.
Krusty Character Comedy Observational Not to worry, Mr. 'K.' We've rigged the cards. They're all in events that Communists never lose. I like. I like.
We've rigged the cards. They're all in events that Communists never lose. Soviet boycott. U.S. unopposed in most events. You personally stand to lose 44 million dollars.
Oy!
Krusty Reaction Beat Character Comedy Crib! Crib! I'm a baby!
Bart Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort All right, I know how to handle this. just use a little reverse psychology. Let's go, Marge. Leave the baby with his little crib.
Homer Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Ah. Homer J. Simpson, you're a genius.
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm I know you like clowns, so I made you this bed.
Homer Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch If you should die before you wake-- [Crazed Laughter]
If you should die before you wake-- [Crazed Laughter]
Can't sleep. Clown'll eat me.
Bart Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback women shaving their backs 9,000 miles away... the Americans are heavy favorites.
Many of the other women represent countries that don't have swimming pools.
Wow. A baby and a free burger. Could this be the best day of my life? Coming up next, an hour-long episode of Mama's Family. Yes!
Homer Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Enjoy the miracle of creation! - Shut up, Flanders.
I wanna go home. - No, I don't.
Bart Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Hope she didn't scare ya. Hello, Joe!
I've already started you... a college fund at Lincoln Savings and Loan.
Homer Observational Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Yeah, well, Bart can kiss my hairy yellow butt.
Homer Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Well, Bart, what do you think of little Lisa? I hate you.
Homer Bart Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch 'Where's the beef?' What the hell's that supposed to mean? 'Where's the beef?' No wonder he won Minnesota.
Homer Observational Character Comedy The older they get, the cuter they ain't.
You people are pigs! I personally am gonna spit in every 50th burger.
Krusty Character Comedy Escalation I like those odds.
Homer Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Please, please, please, please, please! [Howard Cosell] The American, Drederick Tatum... does a triumphant turkey trot over the supine Swede.
Carl Lewis, I could kiss you!
Homer Character Comedy Escalation She has the reflexes of a young Mary Lou Retton.
Who's cuter now?
Bart Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Your son shoved this through our doggie door. And since we're returning your second-born... you think you could see your way to returning my TV tray--
Ned Callback Escalation Callback Bart. You can talk! Say it again, Lise. Bart. Bart, Bart, Bart, Bart, Bart. I'm her first word!
Say it again, Lise. - Bart. Bart, Bart, Bart, Bart, Bart. - I'm her first word!
Well, I'm not surprised. Lisa's crazy about you. She thinks you hung the moon.
Marge Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Can you say 'David Hasselhoff'? Dave Hassahoff.
Can you say 'Daddy'? - Homer. - No, sweetie. 'Daddy'. - Homer. - D'oh!
Can you say 'Daddy'? Homer. No, sweetie. 'Daddy'. Homer. D'oh!
Homer Lisa Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback You know, Maggie, the sooner kids talk, the sooner they talk back. I hope you never say a word.
Bart Observational Character Comedy You know, Maggie, the sooner kids talk, the sooner they talk back. I hope you never say a word.
Homer Observational Character Comedy Daddy.
Maggie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Top Episodes — The Simpsons
