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 #233 of 552 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.
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Top Jokes
Maggie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Bart: Can't sleep. Clown'll eat me.
Bart Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Clown bed: If you should die before you wake-- [Crazed Laughter]
Homer · Marge: 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.
Bart: Got your nose. Got your wallet.
Bart Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 84 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Bart: Can you say 'get bent'?
Bart Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Bart: Mr. Rogers says it all the time.
Bart Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Bart Running Gag Character Comedy Homer: Did you hear that? She said 'burlap'.
Homer Character Comedy Absurdist Homer: '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 Bart: You better say something, or they'll think you're stupid. Takes one to know one! Swish!
Bart Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Bart Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Marge: Ms. Pac-Man struck a blow for women's rights.
Marge Observational Absurdist ★ Rewatch Marge: A young Joe Piscopo taught us how to laugh.
Marge Observational Irony/Sarcasm Street vendor: Chipwich for sale! Chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin!
Street kids: Youse guys wanna play stickball? Soitenly.
Neighbor woman: That Mike Farrell really boils my 'potata.'
Homer: Homer is what grown-ups call me. Call me Daddy.
Homer Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Bart Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer · Bart: Why, you little-- [Homer strangles Bart]
Homer Bart Physical/Slapstick Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Homer: Ah, he'll tire himself out soon.
Homer Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Homer · Bart: They had 30 sons and 30 daughters. What were their names? Dennis, Brianna... Mavis, Brad--
Bart · Homer: What were their names? [Groans] Dennis, Brianna... Mavis, Brad--
TV comedian: The Coast Guard arrested Boy George for scraping the barnacles off his dinghy.
Bart: Got your nose. Got your wallet.
Bart Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: We're gonna start doin' it in the morning?
Homer Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Bart · Homer: Bye-bye, keys. [Flushing] [Yelling]
Marge · Bart: Who did this? - Baby. Bad baby.
Homer: The baby can have Bart's crib and Bart can sleep with us until he's 21.
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy Homer · Marge: 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.
Real estate agent: Once you get used to the smell of melted hog fat, you'll wonder how you ever did without it.
Homer Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Sea Captain: Why buy a house when ye can buy a houseboat? Arr!
Real estate agent: 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.
Sea Captain: That's real shag carpeting. Arr!
Bart: 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 Homer · Grampa: Dad, I have a problem. Why'd you come to me?
Grampa: 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.
Grampa: I was voted the handsomest boy in Albany, New York.
Grampa Character Comedy Running Gag Homer: You didn't build this house. You won it on a crooked '50s game show.
Homer Character Comedy Observational Grampa: I ratted on everybody and got off scot-free.
Grampa Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Bart · Marge: So how long before you shipped Grampa off to the old folks' home? About three weeks.
Bart Marge Dark/Subversive Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Homer: 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 Bart · Homer: Hey, Homer, this house sucks. Bart, I told you not to use that word. Call me 'Daddy'.
Bart Homer Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Ned Flanders: Buenos días, neighboritos. The handle's Flanders, but my friends call me Ned.
Homer: Who the hell are you?
Homer Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Homer: And that 'little while' is now eight years and counting. [Chuckles]
Homer Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: 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: Krusty Burger is the official meat-flavored sandwich of the 1984 Olympics!
Krusty Observational Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Krusty · Bart: Coochy coochy coo! - Krusty funny. - Duh.
Krusty: I almost swallowed some of the juice. I'll be tasting that for weeks.
Krusty Character Comedy Observational Executive · Krusty: Not to worry, Mr. 'K.' We've rigged the cards. They're all in events that Communists never lose. I like. I like.
Krusty's accountant: 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.
Krusty Reaction Beat Character Comedy Bart: Crib! Crib! I'm a baby!
Bart Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Homer: 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 Homer: Ah. Homer J. Simpson, you're a genius.
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Homer: I know you like clowns, so I made you this bed.
Homer Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Clown bed: If you should die before you wake-- [Crazed Laughter]
Clown bed: If you should die before you wake-- [Crazed Laughter]
Bart: Can't sleep. Clown'll eat me.
Bart Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Announcer: women shaving their backs 9,000 miles away... the Americans are heavy favorites.
TV announcer: Many of the other women represent countries that don't have swimming pools.
Homer: 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 Ned · Homer: Enjoy the miracle of creation! - Shut up, Flanders.
Bart: I wanna go home. - No, I don't.
Bart Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Todd Flanders: Iron helps us play!
Ned · Grandma Flanders: Hope she didn't scare ya. Hello, Joe!
Homer: I've already started you... a college fund at Lincoln Savings and Loan.
Homer Observational Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Homer: Yeah, well, Bart can kiss my hairy yellow butt.
Homer Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Homer · Bart: Well, Bart, what do you think of little Lisa? I hate you.
Homer Bart Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: '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 Patty or Selma: The older they get, the cuter they ain't.
Krusty: You people are pigs! I personally am gonna spit in every 50th burger.
Krusty Character Comedy Escalation Homer Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Homer · Howard Cosell: Please, please, please, please, please! [Howard Cosell] The American, Drederick Tatum... does a triumphant turkey trot over the supine Swede.
Homer: Carl Lewis, I could kiss you!
Homer Character Comedy Escalation Dr. Hibbert: She has the reflexes of a young Mary Lou Retton.
Bart Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Ned: 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 Lisa · Bart · Homer: Bart. You can talk! Say it again, Lise. Bart. Bart, Bart, Bart, Bart, Bart. I'm her first word!
Homer · Lisa · Bart: Say it again, Lise. - Bart. Bart, Bart, Bart, Bart, Bart. - I'm her first word!
Marge: Well, I'm not surprised. Lisa's crazy about you. She thinks you hung the moon.
Marge Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Homer · Lisa: Can you say 'David Hasselhoff'? Dave Hassahoff.
Homer · Lisa: Can you say 'Daddy'? - Homer. - No, sweetie. 'Daddy'. - Homer. - D'oh!
Homer · Lisa: Can you say 'Daddy'? Homer. No, sweetie. 'Daddy'. Homer. D'oh!
Homer Lisa Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Bart: You know, Maggie, the sooner kids talk, the sooner they talk back. I hope you never say a word.
Bart Observational Character Comedy Homer: You know, Maggie, the sooner kids talk, the sooner they talk back. I hope you never say a word.
Homer Observational Character Comedy Maggie Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Top Episodes — The Simpsons