English edit

Etymology edit

John Camden Hotten's Slang Dictionary (1873) mentions a tale of this having been done with the rum cask in which Lord Nelson's body was brought to England.

Verb edit

tap the admiral (third-person singular simple present taps the admiral, present participle tapping the admiral, simple past and past participle tapped the admiral)

  1. (nautical, slang) To steal some liquor from a cask that is in storage or transit.