Frog in my throat
throat full of frogs
I have heard: "I have a frog in my throat." Said by a person who is hoarse or needs to clear his throat.
To have a frog in the throat describes a choking sensation in the throat.
Here's a suggested origin:
In the past in was feared that a frog was really present when this sensation occurred. In olden times people often drank from ponds and streams; there was always the possibility of swallowing a whole animal or, worse, its eggs. If the eggs were taken in, then they were said to hatch inside and, when ready to come out, would cause a choking feeling.
However, 'our' archives say that it comes from OE 'frogga', meaning 'hoarseness'. Personally, the expression for me is one of choking, not hoarseness: thus I'm not convinced by the 'frogga' origin.If you swallowed a flower arrangement, you could have a florist's frog in your throat. Quite painful with all those little spikes!!!
I've only heard it used to refer to hoarseness. I assumed that if you have phlegm in your throat and speak, your voice croaks like a frog and hence the expression. I live and learn. Pamela