A lot of work goes into animation, so a few animated shows like to add a little extra something for fans. A lot of episodes of The Simpsons are filled with visual background jokes that fans might only catch if they have a quick eye or stop at just the right moment. Some of these gags can actually be quite cerebral and really get the audience to think.

The Simpsons

Comedy

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Release Date

December 17, 1989

Cast

Dan Castellaneta , Julie Kavner , Nancy Cartwright , Yeardley Smith , Hank Azaria , Harry Shearer

Seasons

35

Studio

Fox

These can be jokes revolving around a classic work of literature or some mathematical equation. At times, these jokes even manage to give viewers a few seconds to try to see if they can get it, especially if it involves a language-based pun. That said, a few jokes are ones clearly written for fans of the show, who will recognize certain fan-terms and what often happens behind the scenes. There are even a few times when a background joke actually becomes a running joke within an episode.

15 Lionel Hutz's Ad

When it comes to the English language, a little punctuation can make all the difference in writing. A single comma here or an apostrophe there can change the entire meaning of a sentence. In "The Day the Violence Died," Bart befriends a destitute animator who claims to be the real creator of Itchy and Scratchy. Bart turns to local lawyer Lionel Hutz to help prove his case.

Season 7, Episode 18

When Hutz asks Bart for a retainer, however, the Simpson boy points out that his ad claims "No money down." Hutz takes out a card showing his ad and claims the printer mixed things up. By just adding a few commas and such, Hutz transforms "Works On Contingency — No Money Down" into "Works On Contingency? — No, Money Down!" He then notes the ad shouldn't have a Bar Association logo, either.

14 The Kwik-E-Mart's No-Check List

"Homer and Apu" revolves around Apu losing his job at the Kwik-E-Mart after selling Homer expired shrimp, making him sick. With the Kwik-E-Mart a big focus in the story, it's shown that Homer's had a few problems with the convenience store in the past. In a freeze-frame bonus, a sign lists off a few Springfield residents who the store no longer accepts checks from.

Season 5, Episode 13

While Chief Wiggum and Reverend Lovejoy top the list, there's a noticeable pattern with the remaining names: "HOMER J. SIMPSON," "HOMER S. SIMPSON," "H.J. SIMPSON," "HOMOR SIMPSON," and "HOMER J. FONG." This implies Homer has tried multiple times to use bad checks at the Kwik-E-Mart. Of course, some fans wonder if this is a "Guy Incognito" situation, suggesting some of these names simply belong to random people who just had similar names to Homer.

13 Maggie's "Play-Annoyed Grunt"

Many of the characters on The Simpsons have their own catchphrases. The most famous is arguably Homer's "D'oh," which he usually says when something bad happens, often by his own hand. Allegedly, the catchphrase was originally written as "annoyed grunt" in the scripts for a Tracey Ullman Show short, which Dan Castellaneta read as "D'oh." Over the years, the term is still written out as "annoyed grunt" in scripts and even episode titles.

Season 25, Episode 6

"The Kid Is All Right" pokes fun at the catchphrase in one scene where Maggie is seen playing with "Play-Annoyed Grunt," the joke being that it would be pronounced as "Play-D'oh," a play on "Play-Doh" modeling clay. The joke is especially meant for longtime fans of the series who would recognize the intended pronunciation.

12 A Cameo from Waldo

Where's Wally?, better known as Where's Waldo? in the United States and Canada, is a series of British puzzle books where readers are tasked with finding the title character hidden somewhere in the illustrations. Waldo even exists in The Simpsons, such as in the book "Find Waldo Yet Again," in which Waldo isn't even trying to hide. However, Waldo is occasionally implied to exist as a real person. When Homer bemoans being able to find Waldo on the back of a cereal box, Waldo pops up in the kitchen window.

Season 6, Episode 14

One episode even gives viewers a chance to spot Waldo themselves. In "Bart's Comet," when Springfield awaits their possible doom thanks to the titular comet, nearly the whole town seeks shelter in Ned Flanders' bomb shelter. In one brief shot, Waldo himself can be briefly seen smiling among the residents, emphasizing just how many people must be inside.

11 Homer Using a Pinscreen Toy

Homer Simpson might be a husband and father, but, deep down, times have shown that he's also a child at heart. One quick gag highlights this in the episode "Das Bus." When Homer accidentally receives mail meant for the Flanders family, he learns of Ned's home-owned business, Flancrest Enterprises. This, in turn, inspires him to make his own internet company, "Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net."

Season 9, Episode 14

While setting up his company, Homer covers a table with all sorts of gadgets and doodads. One such item is a pinscreen toy, which can be used to make an impression of something. Like many curious children, Homer made an impression of his own face, as can still be seen on the screen.

That said, while it's never explained just what Homer's company supposedly did, it still drew the ire of Bill Gates, who has his goons destroy Homer's things.

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10 Springfield Heights Institute of Technology

Despite all the jokes concerning the intelligence of Springfield's residents, some places still offer various forms of higher education. These include schools like Springfield Community College, Springfield A&M, and Springfield University. However, schools in Springfield sometimes betray their own lack of quality.

Season 7, Episode 23

"Much Apu About Nothing" revealed that Apu came to Springfield to get his PhD. In fact, his job at the Kwik-E-Mart helped him to pay off his student loans. That said, the school had the poorly thought-out name of "Springfield Heights Institute of Technology." The episode "Simpsorama" also shows that the school still exists and has retained its name, suggesting no one's noticed the acronym it spells out.

9 Sneed's Feed & Seed

In "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)," after Homer starts challenging people to duels, a deadly contest against a colonel prompts Homer to hide out in the country, specifically at the old farm where he originally grew up. During the story, a convenience store in the area would go on to become one of the series' most famous visual gags.

Season 11, Episode 5

To start up the old farm, Homer goes to "Sneed's Feed & Seed" to purchase some seeds. The sign notes that the place recently changed hands, having previously belonged to an owner named Chuck. While Chuck might have sold similar wares, the joke is that his business might have used similar wordplay to Sneed's, suggesting he owned a less family-friendly business.

Interestingly, while Chuck is presumably no longer the owner of the establishment, he and Sneed can both be seen sitting outside the store.

8 Homer's M-320 Firework

"Summer of 4 Ft. 2" revolves around summer vacation for the Simpsons family. School ends on a bitter note for Lisa, who realizes she doesn't have any friends. While staying at the Flanders beach house, Lisa changes herself to fit in and even makes new friends, who, in the end, like her for who she is.

Season 7, Episode 25

However, the episode is also known for a subplot involving Homer buying illegal fireworks at the Kwik-E-Mart-style Li'l Valu-Mart, located on a sunny beachside. One such firework is dubbed the "M-320." This is a reference to the fact that an M-80 is often erroneously dubbed as a quarter stick of dynamite, making Homer's firework a whole stick. Of course, this may explain why the product is illegal. In the end, the firework ends up destroying the beach house's plumbing.

7 Hank Scorpio's Coat

Hank Scorpio, a charismatic supervillain and Homer's temporary boss, was a one-shot character, only appearing in the episode "You Only Move Twice," but he quickly became a beloved fan-favorite.

Season 8, Episode 2

When Scorpio gives Homer a tour of his new job, he assures him of a casual new work environment. He then asks Homer to hang up his coat. Homer looks around, realizing there is no place to hang up the coat. Scorpio laughs, assuring him that the company doesn't believe in walls and that he didn't even give him his coat.

It then cuts to Scorpio, who is wearing his coat backwards, implying that, rather than any magic mind games, he simply hastily put the coat back on before Homer could notice. The small detail highlights how charmingly accommodating Scorpio can be.

Emphasizing Scorpio's zaniness, the next scene shows him and Homer walking while the background remains static, revealing they are on a treadmill. They then glide across the room on a moving sidewalk, now allowing them to get around without moving their legs.

6 Dr. Marvin Monroe's Book

Dr. Marvin Monroe is a local counselor who first appears in "There's No Disgrace Like Home." Interestingly, "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" revealed Monroe had died off-screen as a trivia question. Allegedly, the character had been retired due to his raspy voice being too hard for his voice actor, Harry Shearer.

Season 29, Episode 2

However, it would turn out reports of Monroe's death were greatly exaggerated in "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife," where Monroe shows up alive, claiming to have been sick this whole time.

The series would poke fun at the retcon in the episode, “Springfield Splendor.” While Lisa is at a therapy session, eagle-eyed viewers have noticed her therapist has a copy of a book written by Schrodinger's doctor, fittingly named “Did I Die or Not?”

5 Principal Skinner's P.O.W. Helmet

"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" takes a look at Homer's surprising past as part of a successful barbershop quartet. The story starts out at the annual Springfield Swap Meet, where Principal Skinner finds a helmet from when he was a prisoner of war during his time in Vietnam. Notably, Skinner is numbered "Prisoner 24601." This is a reference to Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, as Skinner shares his number with the one Jean Valjean was branded with. Furthering the reference, in the musical adaptation, Javert frequently refers to Valjean as "Prisoner 24601."

Season 5, Episode 1

Interestingly enough, this might actually be a reference to the show's infamous "Principal and the Pauper" storyline. Much like "Armin Tamzarian," Valjean also had to reinvent himself through new identities, initially calling himself "Monsieur Madeleine." Both characters also have a connection to children, with Skinner becoming the principal of an elementary school and Valjean becoming the guardian of the orphaned Cosette, saving her from the abusive Thénardier family.

4 The "R8 DAT" & "ANIM8R" License Plates

When people want to make sure they've done a great job, they usually ask for a little constructive criticism. Even the animators of The Simpsons have inquired their viewers for some feedback on one quick sight gag.

Season 6, Episode 12

In the episode "Homer the Great," Homer schemes to get into a secretive group called "The Stonecutters." The moment that spurs this on is Homer noticing that Carl and Lenny have suspiciously convenient parking spots near the plant's entrance.

Joining the Stonecutters doesn't improve his parking spot, but they at least give him a pair of rollerblades to help. Of course, it would help even more if Homer could actually skate. However, there is a hidden joke on the license plates in the scene. Homer's car reads "R8 DAT," or "Rate That." A car Homer grabs onto while trying to skate reads "ANIM8R."

3 Presidents'/President's/Presidents Day Gets Spelled Three Ways

Presidents' Day is a holiday in the United States held on the third Monday of February. Interestingly, aspects of the holiday can actually change depending on the state it's celebrated it, including just how the holiday's name is spelled. It can be "Presidents' Day," "President's Day," and "Presidents Day." Even the presidents it commemorates varies by the state.

Season 4, Episode 15

The Simpsons surprisingly acknowledge this in "I Love Lisa," which sees Springfield Elementary hold a pageant in honor of the holiday. The holiday appears in writing three times in the episode, such as on a blackboard or a poster, and each time uses a different spelling. The joke could be read different ways. On one hand, it could be a reference to the lackluster education system in Springfield, as it is not consistent with the proper state spelling. However, it could also be taken as a joke about how it's unclear just what state The Simpsons takes place in.

2 "Today's Math Joke"

Not all jokes have to be based around language and letters. Sometimes, numbers can prove to be funny, too. "Mathlete's Feat," an episode that revolves around Lisa entering a mathematics competition, was naturally going to have a few math jokes.

Season 26, Episode 22

One of the most famous jokes occurs early in the episode, with Homer laughing near a sign that reads "Today's Math Joke - √-1 2^3 Σπ - And It Was Delicious." The square root of negative one is an imaginary number, which can be represented by the letter "I." Two cubed equals "eight." The Greek letter Sigma could be read as "sum" and the final symbol represents "pi."

The joke is meant to be that the equation could be read as "I ate some pie." However, the scene pans out, revealing that Homer was actually laughing at a dog who got its head stuck in a box.

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1 Elizabeth Taylor in the Window

Elizabeth Taylor was a famed English-American actress, considered one of Hollywood's greatest stars, who had made quite a few notable appearances on The Simpsons. Notably, she briefly appeared as herself on "Krusty Gets Kancelled," complete with a pair of violet eyes. In the story, Krusty is hosting a comeback special, leading Bart and Lisa to recruit as many celebrities as they can.

Season 4, Episode 22

Taylor's agent refuses the invitation on her behalf. While Taylor initially seems to agree with this, upon seeing the special, she regrets this, saying "I've got to fire that agent." Taylor is later seen peering through the window at Moe's Tavern during a toast at Krusty's after-party.

However, this wasn't Taylor's only role in the series. She also appeared in "Lisa's First Word," where she voiced the youngest Simpson, providing the voice for Maggie's first word, "Daddy." Be sure to stream The Simpsons on Disney+.