Cheer Dictionary

Study up on cheering's special language, so you don't miss a minute of the action.

Aerial - A cartwheel without hands touching the ground or floor. Sometimes referred to as walkover or roundoff.

Attack the Crowd - A technique used to get the audience involved in a cheer, dance or song.

Banana - A move where the back is arched and the hands reach upwards. A banana is usually only done in combination jumps or when riding up a basket toss.

Base - The person or persons who remain in contact with the floor lifting the flyer into a stunt. Person or persons on the bottom of a stunt or pyramid.

Basket Toss - A stunt usually using three or more bases who toss a flyer into the air. Two of the bases have interlocked their hands. In the air the flyer my do any jump before returning to the cradle.

Buckets - A move where the arms are straight out in front, with fists facing down as if holding the handle of a bucket in each hand.

Candle Sticks - A cheer motion where both arms are extended out in front of you with fists facing each other as if holding a lit candle in each hand.

Cradle Catch - An end movement where a base catches a flyer after tossing her in the air. The base holds the flyer under her thighs and around her back.

Cupie - One base holds up a flyer with one hand. The base's arm is fully extended and both of the flyer's feet are in the base's one hand. (Also known as a kewpie or awesome.)

Deadman - When a flyer falls backwards or forwards out of a stunt. Three or four people catch the flyer and push the flyer back up to the base's hands.

Elevator - Two bases each hold a different foot of one flyer. The feet are both held at shoulder level.

Facials - The term given to facial trick that could score big with the judges. Examples are, winks, big smiles, sticking out the tongue and bobbing the head up and down.

Flyer - The person that is elevated into the air by the bases; the person that is on top of a pyramid/stunt.

Herkie - A jump where one leg (usually the weakest) is bent towards the ground and the other leg is out to the side as high as it will go in the toe touch position. There are right herkies and left herkies. In a right herkie your right leg is straight with your left leg bent and the opposite is true for a left herkie. (Sometimes called a hurkie.)

Hurdler - A jump similar to the Herkie except the bent leg is level with the hip instead of pointing down. There are left side hurdlers and right side hurdlers.
K Motion - A motion where one arm forms a High V and the other arm comes across your body. There are left and right K motions.

Liberty - A base holds up a flyer with one foot in both of the base's hands. The flier's other leg is bent. There are also one armed Liberties. The arms can be in a high V or one arm in a high V and the other on your hip.

L Motion - A motion where both arms form an L shape. The up arm should have your pinky facing the crowd and the side arm should have your thumb facing the crowd. There are left and right L motions.

Motion - A set position of a cheerleader's arms. Motions include T motion, L motion, K motion, hands on hips, diagonals, touchdown, daggers, high V, low V, and variations of them.

Peel Off/Reload - When a squad is divided into two or more groups to do the same motion, skill or step at different times.

Roundoff - A basic beginner tumbling skill. It is normally used as a setup for combination tumbling skills.

Scorpion - While in a Liberty you grab the toe of your bent leg and bring it up to almost behind your head.

Sell It - A term used when facials or attitude is exaggerated to make the cheer, motion or dance step have more appeal.

Suck it Up - When a cheerleader says suck it up, it means while a flyer is up in a stunt, to try to hold it and not fall.

T Motion - A motion where the arms form a T with the thumb side of the fists facing the crowd. There is a half or broken T where the elbows are bent and the pinky side of the fist is facing the crowd.

Table Top - A jump where it appears the flyer is sitting in the air. (Sometimes referred to as an Abstract or Double Hook)

Tick-Tock - This is when a flier switches feet in a stunt.

Touchdown - A motion where both arms are held directly overhead, tight against the head/ears. Hands have palms facing each other, pinky side out.

V Motion - A motion where both arms are up forming a V. Thumb side for fists faces the crowd.