Avoir un chat dans la gorge

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Did you know that, when talking about having a hoarse voice, we use different animals in French and English?

The French expression is “avoir un chat dans la gorge” (to have a cat in your throat) whilst the English favour “to have a frog in your throat”

Neither animal would be particularly welcome in reality!

The origin of the French expression dates back to the XVIII century. At that time, the word “un maton” described a clot of fur and the expression “avoir un maton dans la gorge” referred to having an obstruction in your throat. Through time “maton” became “matou”( a tomcat ) and eventually “un chat” (a cat).

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