Horse’s Iron Footplate

Horse’s iron footplate crossword clue. Daily Mirror puzzle question today, 14 Augustus 2017. 4 letters.

The answer: SHOE

This used to be a mechanism for showing a husband / father / boyfriend being a Fish Out Of Water trying to do domestic chores, such as laundry or child care. In these cases, the steam iron often makes only the footplate burn mark on the fabric, as opposed to burning through. It’s becoming a Dead Horse Trope as ironing at home grows obsolete, but still conveys the Women Are Wiser aesthetic when needed.

One televised commercial for Robitussin cough syrup has a mother abed with a cough-and-cold, trying to recuperate. Her daughter approaches her at one point, displaying an iron’s footplate burn mark on her dress, declaring, “Mom, Dad’s ironing!” She takes a spoonful of Robitussin, and recovers enough restore order.