Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Homer And Lisa Exchange Cross Words" |
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| The Simpsons episode | |
Promotional image featuring Merl Reagle, Homer, Lisa, and Will Shortz.
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| Episode no. | Season 20 Episode 6 |
| Directed by | Michael Polcino |
| Written by | Tim Long |
| Production code | KABF19 |
| Original air date | November 16, 2008 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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Merl Reagle as himself |
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| Episode features | |
| Couch gag | In a reference to the Vesuvius eruption, the family sits on a bench dressed in togas, and is covered in volcanic ash. |
"'Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words" is an episode from The Simpsons twentieth season. It first aired in the United States on November 16, 2008. In this episode, Lisa finds out she is really good at solving crossword puzzles. She decides to join a big crossword tournament. However, Lisa gets upset when she learns that Homer bet money against her in the final match.
This episode was inspired by a 2006 movie called Wordplay, which was a documentary about crossword puzzles. The episode was written by Tim Long and directed by Nancy Kruse. Two famous crossword puzzle experts, Merl Reagle and Will Shortz, appear as themselves in the episode. Also, Scott Thompson voices a character named Grady.
Plot Summary
Bart and Lisa decide to open a lemonade stand. But they quickly have to close it because they don't have the right permit. They go to the office to get a permit, but the line is very long. The clerk is busy doing a crossword puzzle. Lisa, feeling impatient, quickly finishes the puzzle for the clerk. After that, she becomes totally hooked on crosswords!
This scene is a lot like a part from the movie Wordplay. Lisa gets so good at crosswords that Superintendent Chalmers gives her a flyer for the Crossword City Tournament.
Meanwhile, at Moe's bar, Edna Krabappel offers to buy a drink for anyone who will break up with Principal Skinner for her. Homer agrees to do it and successfully ends their relationship. He then decides to start a new job helping people break up with their partners.
One of Homer's old roommates, Grady, calls him. Grady asks Homer to help him break up with his boyfriend because he found a new partner, Duffman. Homer successfully helps them end their relationship. After making a lot of money, Homer has a dream where he is bothered by the "ghosts" of the people whose relationships he ended. Because of this, he decides to quit his new job.
At the crossword tournament, Homer bets all the money he earned on Lisa winning. He wins a lot of money! But when Lisa says she's worried about the final round, Homer changes his mind. He bets on the other finalist, Gil Gunderson. Gil tricks Lisa by making her feel sorry for him, and she ends up losing the round. This means Homer wins his final bet.
When Lisa finds out that Homer made money by betting against her, she gets very angry. She tells him she's not his daughter anymore and even starts using Marge's maiden name, calling herself "Lisa Bouvier." Feeling bad, Homer asks Merl Reagle and Will Shortz to create a special puzzle for New York Times. His apology to Lisa is hidden in the clues and the answers of the puzzle. After solving it, Lisa and Homer make up.
Making the Episode
The idea for this episode came from James L. Brooks, one of the show's producers. He was inspired by the 2006 documentary Wordplay, which showed national crossword puzzle championships. He thought it would be a great idea for Lisa to go to a championship in the episode.
Will Shortz and Merl Reagle, who were both in the documentary, appeared as guest stars in this episode. Brooks felt they were interesting people who would fit well into The Simpsons world. Will Shortz was the first guest star the show's creators asked to be in the episode. Later, writer Tim Long asked Merl Reagle to create the actual crossword puzzles for the show.
Merl Reagle recorded his lines for the episode near his home. He said it was like a dream come true for him to be in a cartoon, especially since he loved animation as a kid. Reagle designed every crossword puzzle that appears in the episode. This included a puzzle that shows up on a hopscotch court in one of Lisa's daydreams. He even had to make puzzles that included specific lines from the script, like when Gil says, "I think I'll throw some Q's around." This meant Reagle had to create a puzzle with more "Q" letters than usual.
Scott Thompson also made a small appearance in the episode. He voiced Grady, a character he first played in a season 14 episode called "Three Gays of the Condo".
The episode features three different musical parts:
- When Homer helps couples break up, the song "Farewell to You, Baby" by Carl Martin plays.
- When Homer gambles on Lisa's puzzle-solving, the song "Word Up!" by Cameo is heard.
- "Fanfare for the Common Man" plays in the background during a scene where words are removed from the dictionary.
Episode Promotion
To help promote this episode, guest stars Merl Reagle and Will Shortz worked with writer Tim Long. They created a special Simpsons-related message hidden in The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle. This puzzle appeared on November 16, 2008, the same day the episode first aired. The crossword, called "Sounds Like Somebody I Know," was also a part of the episode's story.
Harry Shearer, who voices many characters on the show, recorded a special message from Mr. Burns and Smithers. This message was played for the winner of the National Public Radio's Sunday Puzzle on November 16, 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words para niños
