In Nelson's time Royal Navy junior ensign's were known as "newts." Being so young it didn't take much rum to become inebriated. Hence the expression "pissed as a newt."
Celebrating too quickly, he became as pissed as a newt.
Pissed= Inebriated
Newt= small semi-amphibian member of the salamander group.
Buy a
As pissed as a newt
mug!
