Head jerk is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express sudden head movement, for example, "She gave an indiscernible head jerk in response to her friend's question".
The director, Matthew Arbour, serves up some lovely nonverbal touches, and one of the sharpest is the horrified head jerk that both husbands (Jeffrey M. Bender and Ned Noyes) use to finish the question "Did she... ?" (Yes. She did).
"Thanks for putting that idea in my head, jerk," I responded.
Peter Freeman, the co-owner and "head jerk" at Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain and a plaintiff in the Expressions case, said credit card swipe fees are his biggest business expense after rent and payroll.
Nonetheless, we did test the effect of including it, which would have given eye velocity a component proportional to head jerk.
"His head jerked up hard," Woodward wrote.
And Fagen, behind the sunglasses, head jerking at odd angles?
The assembled responded with pumping one-arm salutes and staccato head jerks.
Clemens's head jerked skyward as Piazza's drive carried over the fence.
Shirley's head jerks around and the tusk collides with the doctor's left shoulder, almost knocking him over.
She winced, her closed eyes tightening, her head jerking on the pillow; and he went again to the telephone.
This Steven had dilated pupils, red marks on his arms, and his head jerked erratically as he spoke manically.
