A small schoolhouse built from a hand mirror and colored pencils on a teal surface, topped with a crooked paper flag.

Original artwork, not a still

Superintendent Chalmers

How come when I heard the word ‘school’ followed by the word ‘exploded’ I immediately thought of the word SKINNER!?

— The Simpsons · 1989

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker pretends to puzzle over a mental habit: hearing that a school exploded, one name leaps straight to mind. The question is mock-innocent, pointing a finger at a particular person while feigning surprise at their own reflex.

Context reviewed

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