Today's clogging vocabulary covers an underappreciated dance bag essential: the sweat towel. New cloggers who only do a few routines in a show may not consider this to be a necessity, but as your repertoire grows, so will your need for this item!

Formal definition:

Sweat towel (noun): An absorbent piece of cloth which, when daubed at the face, can trick a clogger into believing he/she is slightly less sweaty and gross during practice or performance. This towel can remove just enough sweat and/or drippy make-up from the eyes to allow said dancer to keep place in formation, thus avoiding reprimand from the instructor or teammates. Synonyms include: sweat rag, gym towel, dance towel.

The sweat towel can be a simple, utilitarian item or you can purchase one in a bright print or color, maybe with an inspirational saying or team name embroidered on the edge. (Gift idea!)

Sweat towel etiquette prevents sharing. Ew. A roll of duct tape can be shared, a bottle of shoe polish can be shared, but the sweat towel is a definite bring-your-own type of item. (And a launder-between-uses item!)

Not everyone shares my, um, talent for becoming sweaty and gross before the first song is ended, but a sweat towel is still a handy item to have in the dance bag. Go ahead and pack one now - you'll be ready for the next clogging class!

What word would YOU add to the Clogger's Dictionary?