Season

20

Production Code

KABF19

Broadcast Index

S20E06

Episode Number

426

Airdate

16 November 2008

Writer

Tim Long

Director

Nancy Kruse

Executive Producer

Al Jean

Guest Stars

Merl Reagle
Will Shortz
Scott Thompson

Editor

Gary M. Gadsdon

Plot While Bart and Lisa sell Lemonade outside their house, the Blue-Haired Lawyer shows up and requires them to have a Vendors License, and because they don't have one, he shuts the booth down. When Bart and Lisa go to the Bureau to get their license, the man behind the counter wont serve anyone until he is done with his crossword. Angered, Lisa walks up and then solves the whole thing by herself, speeding everything up. <br /><br />Lisa discovers that she has a talent for solving puzzles, and gets addicted. Superintendent Chalmers gives Lisa information on a Crossword tournament. Lisa enters, while at the same time, Homer makes bets on the matches for Lisa, and they both win, in Homer's case, vast amounts of cash by betting his profits he made from a breaking up service he founded and recently quit. Lisa makes it to the finals, where Lisa tells Homer that when she's on the verge of winning something, it is taken away from her at the last second. Homer decides to bet against Lisa in the Finals. In the match, Gil tricks Lisa into losing and Homer makes a vast amount of cash.<br /><br />Homer spends his winnings on new shoelaces and gadgets for his car. Lisa becomes suspicious and questions Homer. Homer tells her the truth right off the bat that he bet against her. Initially Lisa shows no signs of being angry at him, but she's suppressing her anger when she explodes in the school. As the ultimate revenge, Lisa removes any evidence of Homer from her own name, and adopts Marge's Maiden name. Homer and Marge team up with the editors of the New York Times to get Homer and Lisa back together by creating a special crossword puzzle for Lisa, placing two hidden messages, one in the first letter of each clue as well as another in the crossword itself diagonally. <br /><br />After reading the real message that Homer left her in the puzzle, the two make up.