L.A. SPEAK

Whether it’s “The Simpsons,” “Beavis and Butt-head” or “Aladdin,” cartoons are hot. A short list of animators’ lingo:

cushy: adj. the soft, flowing style of Disney animation, as opposed to the snappier, choppier techniques of other studios. “That’s too cushy for ‘Rugrats’--take some of the drawings out.”

Disney death: n. the temporary demise of a character. From several Disney films in which a character “dies”--like “Snow White” or Baloo in “The Jungle Book”--and then, when all the other characters are at the peak of sadness, miraculously comes back--or is brought back--to life. “Let’s give the mouse a Disney death in the coal mine to get the audience worked up before the ending.”

dope sheet: n. a log of every technical aspect of each frame of film to guide the camera operator. Also exposure sheet.

Skippy: n. an animation trivia buff. “He’s a total Skippy ; he even knows what happened in the third episode of ‘The Flintstones.’ ” Origin unclear.

squash and stretch: n. when a character distorts in an elastic, rubbery effect. “When Mickey lands, flatten his body and then pull it way out in a squash and stretch. “

tree chopper: n. a scene that’s undergone a lot of changes, consequently using a lot of paper. “This storyboard’s a real tree chopper. It’s our fifth try and we still don’t have it.”

Yogi run: n. leaping up in the air and running in space before actually taking off. Often seen in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. “Let’s have him do a Yogi run when the ghost comes in and says ‘boo.’ ” From Yogi Bear. Also: Dino run.