FrenchAvoir un chat dans la gorge
Meaning: Having difficulty speaking due to hoarseness or a sore throat.
Literally: To have a cat in the throat
Example: “Excusez-moi, j'ai un chat dans la gorge, je vais boire un peu d'eau.” — Excuse me, I have a frog in my throat; I'll drink some water.
English equivalent: To have a frog in one's throat
Origin: The cat is probably a mistake. The phrase is first recorded in 1835, when the Académie française listed it, and one explanation is that it began as avoir un maton dans la gorge: maton meant curdled milk and, by extension, a small clot, here the lump of phlegm that catches in the throat, and was confused with matou (tomcat), which then became plain chat. That account comes from popular books on expressions and is not confirmed. English has the same complaint with a frog.
Equivalents in other languages
English: To have a frog in your throat
More French idioms
- Se battre contre des moulins à vent Fighting a hopeless battle against something immovable or pointless.
- Faire ses choux gras Profiting greatly from a situation at someone else's expense.
- Avoir un tuyau Having inside information or a useful tip about something.
- Faire la pluie et le beau temps Having complete control over a situation or someone's fate.
- Tirer les vers du nez Getting someone to reveal information they want to keep secret.
- Faire le mort To lie low; to give no sign of life and avoid drawing attention.
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