have a frog in the/(one's) throat

1. To have difficulty speaking because of hoarseness or the need to clear one's throat. He has such a bad frog in his throat from the infection. He can barely talk! Ahem! Excuse me, I have a bit of a frog in my throat from my allergies. Sorry you've had to listen to so much throat-clearing throughout this phone call—I've just had a frog in my throat all day.

2. To have an inability to speak because of some overwhelming emotion, especially fear. A: "Elise couldn't say a word in the meeting and looked completely terrified." B: "Sounds like she had a frog in her throat." I had such a frog in the throat as I looked out at the audience staring up at me. I have a frog in the throat the second I'm told I have to speak in front of a large group of people.

have a frog in your throat

lose your voice or find it hard to speak because of hoarseness or an apparent impediment in your throat. informal

have a ˈfrog in your throat

(informal) not be able to speak clearly because your throat is sore, you want to cough, etc: She had a frog in her throat, so she had a drink of water before she went on speaking.