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I am reading the book about the Simpsons and I don't understand this line:

'Putting the Spring in Springfield.'

The line is the title of chapter from the book. I suppose the line 'put the spring' means breathing life or revival or something like that. Regarding the meaning of the word 'spring', it could mean grow out, put out, bubble up or occur. I am not sure whether I'm right or not, so that's why I'm here. Does it mean breathing life to Springfield? Can anyone please explain to me what does it mean?

Also I did some research on it, and I think this line may be related to the song "We put the spring in Springfield" from the Simpsons.

Link to the song on YouTube.

Link to the online book

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    @MetaEd great. I post comments, encourage the newcomer to add their research, and put in some effort, and they do! Then you come along and close it. What's the point? Close Yoichi's question as being POB as well.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Aug 30, 2018 at 20:35
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    You haven't broken any rules, you just come to a jaded website populated by jaded users (that's also me). Stick around. Oh, and some of the comments we exchanged have been deleted too.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Aug 30, 2018 at 20:43
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    Thank you. As explained to me by native speakers from Reddit, it's a reference to "putting a spring in your step" which means to make you more lively. But maybe this line has a multi-level definition, like many jokes from the early days of the Simpsons. Thanks a lot anyway.
    – user304206
    Commented Aug 30, 2018 at 23:06
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    Hello Replica Foxtrot, and welcome to EL&U!
    – Lawrence
    Commented Sep 2, 2018 at 22:27
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    And hello to you, too! I find this place really interesting and useful. Although at the initial stage I thought that my question wouldn't fit into the rules of this forum.
    – user304206
    Commented Sep 2, 2018 at 23:18

2 Answers 2

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If you view the linked video, the song is a defense of Springfield's local whorehouse. "Spring" in this case seems to be used both in the sense of "provide an uplifting experience" (as in "put a spring in your step") and also as a mild sexual reference, referring to the "spring" outward of an erect penis. (There are some visual references in the video — for example, a jack-in-the-box popping out accompanied by the line "we put the [sound-effect 'boing'] ... in Springfield.")

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    That's the song, but what about the article? Is any sexual innuendo also implied?
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Aug 31, 2018 at 0:39
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    @Mari-LouA According to the website, the book "attempts to explain...[h]ow The Simpsons became the unprecedentedly awesome show it was"; it seems that "spring" here is used in the sense of "adding excitement". No sexual innuendo, as far as I can tell.
    – Derek
    Commented Aug 31, 2018 at 1:02
  • I think so, too.
    – user304206
    Commented Aug 31, 2018 at 8:21
  • It is a "burlesque house" rather than a brothel
    – Henry
    Commented Nov 12, 2019 at 0:26
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This is a common play on words, often done ironically.

For example:

He puts the fun in funeral.

Without more context, I can't tell whether there is actually something about springs that the writers are making a joke about, or whether they are just being absurd.

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  • I am not sure if there's absurd or a joke, actually this line is the title of chapter, like 'Part I – Putting the Spring in Springfield.' deadhomersociety.com/zombiesimpsons
    – user304206
    Commented Aug 30, 2018 at 19:32
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    This answer is the probably the most useful way to respond to the posted question. The family of jokey statements along the lines of "He puts the dent in president" and "She puts the bomb in abomination" and "It puts the stink in distinction" is vast and (from a practical perspective) probably limitless. Any attempt to locate a freestanding expression or a deeper meaning in connection with the invented slogan "Putting the Spring in Springfield" is probably doomed to failure. Or in other words, it 's likely to put the lose in illusion.
    – Sven Yargs
    Commented Aug 30, 2018 at 22:48
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    Putting a "spring in your step" is actually spot on. I wish it had come to me, but it didn't.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Aug 30, 2018 at 23:15
  • Also from the Simpsons, We put the Fun in Fundamentalist Dogma
    – James
    Commented Aug 31, 2018 at 1:24
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    I like to say that our IT department likes to put the "no" in "innovation".
    – J.R.
    Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 0:28

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