Final answer:
The mother's cheers likely 'got stuck in her throat' because she experienced a swift emotional shift from happiness to concern or fear, which is a metaphor for being unable to speak due to sudden distress.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase 'the mother's cheers got stuck in her throat' is a metaphorical way of expressing a sudden emotional transition from joy to concern or fear. It could be due to witnessing something unexpected or distressing immediately after a moment of happiness or pride. For example, a mother may be cheering for her child's performance or success, but then something happens that causes worry or shock, causing the cheers to get 'stuck' because she cannot continue to cheer in light of the new development.
Such expressions often occur in literature to convey a character's intense emotional response to a twist in events. The cheers 'getting stuck' in the throat symbolize that the vocal expression of happiness is abruptly halted as the throat tightens up, often due to stress or shock. This sensation can be described as having a 'lump' in the throat or feeling as if something is physically stuck there, even though it is a psychosomatic response. This phrase vividly captures the swift change from elation to anxiety or dread.