A frog in your throat

Origin

In times before modern medicine, people often sought to explain ailments through vivid, often visceral imagery. The discomfort of a hoarse, constricted throat, particularly after exposure to cold or damp conditions, would have sounded eerily similar to the rough croaking of a frog. This physical sensation, combined with ancient folk beliefs that actual frogs or their unseen spirits could inhabit the human body and cause illness, gave rise to this wonderfully descriptive idiom. The image of a cold, slimy amphibian lodged in one's windpipe perfectly captured the feeling of a throat constricted by phlegm or dryness, making speech difficult and unpleasant.