February 19, 2023

Title: CUTTING SHORT

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

SHOE INSERT (18A: Foot-shaped cushion)

SHOPPING CART (28A: Grocery store squeaker)

SHOULDN'T HURT (58A: Is likely to help matters)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer is CUTTING the word SHORT, and pushing the letters to the outer edges.

Things I learned:

• ROTI (17A: Makki ki ___ (maize flatbread)) I was thankful for the "flatbread" hint in the clue, as I was not previously familiar with this bread. Makki ki ROTI and ROTI are both unleavened flatbreads that originated from the Indian subcontinent. Makki ki ROTI is made using maize flour (corn meal), while ROTI is made with stoneground whole wheat flour.
• SEER (8D: Cassandra in Greek mythology, for example) I am not quite familiar enough with Greek mythology to have gotten this answer without the help of crossing answers. In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a princess of Troy. She was a SEER, with the ability to see the future. However, she was also cursed by the god Apollo such that nobody believed her prophecies. Famously, Cassandra warned the people of Troy against bringing the Trojan horse into the city, warning that the Greeks would destroy the city. Cassandra was not believed, and we know how that turned out.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• COUGARS (51A: Tawny mountain cats) and TOMS (54A: Male cats) Willow is, of course, neither a COUGAR or a TOM cat. Nonetheless, she's always happy to see cat content in the puzzle. This

  

  Willow under a chair

  morning Willow placed herself underneath a chair, and sat there watching me for about 10 minutes. Sometimes I wish I knew what was going through her mind!
• OREO (66A: Cookie introduced in 1912) When OREO came on the market in 1912, it was an imitation of the Hydrox cookie that was introduced four years early. OREO became more popular than Hydrox, and is now the best-selling cookie brand, not only in the United States, but also globally. I rarely buy OREOs (because I have no self-control if they are in the house), but a couple of days ago I bought some to include in a birthday package I was mailing. I was completely overwhelmed by the multitude of OREO choices! It definitely induced decision paralysis. When I was telling my husband about this, he astutely pointed out that this is one way that OREO crowds out other cookie brands in the cookie aisle. Smart marketing.
• SAL (40D: Pizzeria owner in "Do the Right Thing") Do the Right Thing is a 1989 movie directed by Spike Lee. The movie is set in Brooklyn, and focuses on the racial tension between the Black residents of a neighborhood, and SAL, the Italian-American owner of a local pizzeria. Fun fact: The set for SAL's pizzeria was built on an empty lot in Brooklyn, and was fully functional, allowing the actors to cook pizzas during filming.
• ALT (63D: ___-country music) Alternative country, or ALT-country is a subgenre of country music that is influence by ALT-rock. 

Geography review:

• TAOS (24A: ___ Pueblo) TAOS Pueblo is an ancient community located about a mile north of TAOS, New Mexico. The pueblo belongs to the Puebloan people, and is considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States. TAOS Pueblo is a National Historic Landmark and a UNESCO Heritage Site.
• ACRE (1D: One of over 50 million in Minnesota) and LOON (2D: State bird of Minnesota) It took me a long time to get ACRE as an answer. I knew 50 million was too many lakes for Minnesota, but that's the only thing my brain wanted to think about. Crossing answers finally revealed ACRE - whew! Minnesota is the 12th largest U.S. state by area. The common LOON is Minnesota's state bird, and it appears on the Minnesota state quarter. Minnesota is the only state with the LOON as its state bird.
• DOHA (6D: Qatar's largest city) In addition to being its largest city, DOHA is the capital of Qatar.
• HELENA (29D: Capital of Montana) When my husband and I traveled west last fall, we were not planning on going to HELENA, Montana. However, on the second day of our road trip, as we were driving through Nebraska, a passing truck kicked up a rock that put a chip in the windshield of our (just two months old) car. After many, many phone calls, we ended up making a detour from Butte, Montana (where we were visiting friends) to HELENA, in order to get the chip repaired before it got worse. This is not the end of the windshield story, but that's enough for now.
• STAR (58D: Symbol on Cameroon's flag) Cameroon is a country in west-central Africa. Its capital is Yaoundé. Cameroon's flag is composed of three vertical stripes, one each of green, red, and yellow. A yellow STAR is in the center of the flag, on the red stripe. 

I was able to correctly guess the theme from the puzzle's title today, which helped me know the theme answers would start with the letters SH-. A couple of nice long vertical bonuses in POTATO SALAD and AU NATUREL. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this puzzle that was a great way to start my Sunday.