The phrase "short a few people" means that there are not enough individuals present or that there are missing people. In the given context, the sentence "Got any celebrity magazines?" implies that someone is asking if there are any magazines about famous people available. While the response "Alas, we're short a few people" indicates that unfortunately, there are not enough people present to fulfill the request or to assist in some way.
Note: The provided meaning of the answer is for the latest New York Times crossword puzzle clue: "Got any celebrity magazines?" "Alas, we're ...". Explanations are generated by AI and may be inaccurate.