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Frog in one's throat
Frog in one's throat
Frog in one's throat : Phrases
Meaning:
A choking sensation in the throat.
Example:
It was just before the Toastmaster's Final Selection and Stan, being quite nervous, felt he had a frog in his throat.
Origin:
In the past, it was feared that a frog was 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.
Alternative: In the Middle Ages, throat infections were sometimes treated by putting a live frog head into the patient's mouth. By inhaling, the frog was believed to draw out the patient's infection into its own body. Hence the 19th century expression frog in one's throat.
