What does "a frog in your throat" mean — and why is it funny?

informal

Meaning

A temporary hoarseness or croak in your voice, usually from a cold or from not having spoken in a while.

Where it comes from

A comic American phrase from the 1800s; the croak of a hoarse voice is simply being blamed on an imaginary amphibian.

Why it is funny

The humor is the tiny absurd diagnosis. Rather than say your throat is dry, the phrase claims a literal frog has moved in and is doing the croaking on your behalf.

Used in a sentence

"Excuse me — I've got a bit of a frog in my throat this morning."