A Frog In Your Throat: Meaning and Origin Revealed

Sometimes, when you get sick, you might have a frog in your throat. Luckily, this doesn’t mean that a frog has taken up residence in your esophagus. It simply means that your throat is irritated and your voice sounds hoarse or a bit like a croaking frog. Most of the time, this condition is nothing serious and often resolves by itself in a few days. You might get “a frog in your throat” if you have a cold, allergies, the flu, or COVID-19. Sometimes people with generally raspy voices are also described as having a frog in their throat in general.

Origins of the Phrase “A Frog In Your Throat”

The first usage of this phrase in writing has a bit of a different meaning from how we tend to use it now. In 1847, clergyman Harvey Newcomb published a book called How to Be a Man, which was a book to tell young men how to improve themselves. In the book, he urged young men to say no to “improper diversions.” He described any blockage that might prevent a young man from saying no to these “diversions” as “a frog in their throat” and urged them to practice saying no so that they wouldn’t experience this blockage.

The first time it was used in the way we know it today, was in 1894 in an advertisement for a sore throat lozenge that was given the name “frog in your throat.”

There is a myth that the phrase originates from the fact that in medieval times, people thought that secretions from a frog could cure certain types of sore throats. While that belief is true, etymologists have found no connection between that belief and the origins of this phrase.

In French, one would say “avoir un chat dans la gorge” which means to have a cat in the throat, instead of a frog.

Examples of Everyday Use of the Phrase “A Frog In Your Throat”

You would use this phrase anytime you want to describe someone who has a sore throat or a raspy voice that is caused by a cold or flu. If someone is clearing their throat or coughing a lot, you could ask them if they have a frog in their throat. If you feel like your throat is scratchy and you are getting sick, you might tell your friend you can’t come out because you have a frog in your throat. They will understand that you don’t want to spread your germs!

A Useful Way to Illustrate the Phrase “A Frog In Your Throat”

Here is a fictional story that illustrates how you might use the phrase “a frog in your throat.”

Imagine that you have recently had a cold, but you’re feeling mostly better. The only symptom that remains is a scratchy throat caused by an excess of phlegm. You are finally able to go out but your friend notices you keep clearing your throat and your voice is a little raspy. Your friend asks you if you are sick. You tell them, “No, I just have this frog in my throat left over from my cold, but I am feeling completely better besides that!”

A Real Life Example from The New Daily

One review of digital assistants on the Australian news website, The New Daily, remarked that the voice recognition component in multiple digital assistants miraculously worked well even when the author was home sick with a “frog in his throat.” He used this phrase to note that his voice was somewhat different than usual due to a cold, but the voice recognition still worked.

Possible Pros and Cons of Using the Phrase “A Frog In Your Throat”

The pros of using this phrase are mainly that it is a great way to describe that feeling when you have a bit of a scratchy or sore throat. The cons of using it is that you might put someone on the defensive if you tell them they sound like they have a frog in their throat. Sometimes this phrase is used to describe raspy voices in general. Since it also means that it sounds like someone sounds ill, it might not be the best compliment.

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