A Conversation for The Eastern Newt
'Drunk' as a newt....
Mort - a middle aged Girl Interrupted Started conversation Jun 4, 2004
Just in case anyone asks 
"Possibly to do with the Victorian professional mourners known as newts, who had to take a drink at each funeral to be polite.
*Word Wizard adds;* except that they weren't newts, but 'mutes', i.e. silent ones. Still, the phrase is certainly one of the great standbys when describing such a state of inebriation."
So it looks like that founded the saying 
as a mute!
Of course, me? I never touch the stuff 
'Drunk' as a newt....
. Posted Jun 4, 2004
I also heard it might be because newts generally hang around in water and drink a lot, although that's a rather dodgy explanation. 
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'Drunk' as a newt....
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