260:
114:(typically in certain buildings and local areas), really exist in some places, but are mere urban legends in other places. Some compilers confuse the circumstances in which a defendant was convicted under a more general statute, such as a noise ordinance or disorderly conduct, as the text of the law itself. Others may fabricate a purported law as a
156:
is a long-standing, famous, and stereotypical claim that is used in headlines to typify the
Euromyth. Amongst other issues of acceptable quality and standards, the regulation does actually specify minimum dimensions. It also states that bananas shall be free from deformation or abnormal curvature.
74:
Laws presented as "dumb laws", "strange laws", or "weird laws", are laws that are perceived by the speaker to be useless, no longer applicable (in regard to current culture or modern law), or humorous. A large number of hoax or exaggerated dumb laws are circulated on the internet and in the print
219:
claimed these three laws were "of course" and "obviously" not applicable in modern times (neither confirming nor denying whether such laws actually exist or have ever existed), although a 2006 BBC News article mentioned the two alleged anti-Welsh laws amongst a number of "strange-but-true laws"
211:, other than on a Sunday." These three related urban legends frequently show up in lists of strange laws, but there is no historical basis for them other than an alleged 1403 ordinance of the city of Chester, which supposedly imposed a curfew on Welshmen in the city in response to the
289:
Supposedly, there is a law stating that one cannot fish while riding on the back of a camel in Idaho. A 1917 legal provision in the "Fish and Game rules" did ban riding on any animal while fishing, whatever that animal might be; this restriction was later removed, so it is no longer
65:
that are perceived to be useless, humorous or obsolete, or are no longer applicable (in regard to current culture or modern law). A number of books and websites purport to list dumb laws. These are in many cases based on misunderstandings, exaggerations or outright fabrications.
854:"I keep hearing that it's illegal to fish from the back of a camel in the state of Idaho. I suspect this is someone playing a joke, or perhaps it's illegal to fish while riding an animal, but it just sounds funny to talk about camels (I.e. Perhaps it's E"
186:, which is tasked with abolishing obsolete and unnecessary laws to reform the legal system, published an informal document answering some frequently asked questions about the veracity of some alleged "legal oddities" or "legal curiosities".
109:
Some purported strange laws do not exist, no longer exist, or were never passed, while others are actually in effect, although they are often exaggerated or misrepresented in popular culture. Sometimes similar laws, such as a
799:
373:
Supposedly, it is illegal to be fat in Japan. That is untrue, but citizens between 45 and 74 must have their waists measured and might be given medical guidance it their waist exceeds a certain measure.
493:
Some are entirely invented for excitable journalists—'Mumbai mix'—while others are tenuously connected to facts, such as the most famous
Euromyth of them all, straight bananas.
244:'s law code really did contain the law, "If a man unintentionally kills another man by letting a tree fall on him, the tree shall be given to the kinsmen of the slain".
1039:
788:
304:
215:. The Law Commission stated: "It is illegal to shoot a Welsh or Scottish (or any other) person regardless of the day, location or choice of weaponry". In 2016,
1054:
853:
1379:
514:
Mother of all euromyths: Bananas must not be excessively curved ... 'Some wise cracker asked: "What does this mean for the curvature of bananas?
149:
300:
Supposedly, a law in Iowa limits the length of a kiss to five minutes. The law does not appear in the Iowa
Legislature, but circulates online.
1104:
235:
1259:
424:
763:
662:
394:
183:
1346:
1328:
1308:
1288:
1250:
1230:
465:
82:
exist on the internet purporting to list "dumb laws" in various jurisdictions. The "dumb laws" are also often circulated via e-mail
1079:
933:
307:
are illegal since more than a certain number of single females living together constitutes a brothel" has been debunked as fake.
429:
482:
1181:
615:
99:
567:
95:
977:
1374:
1154:
195:
The Law
Commission wrote that there is no law making it "legal to shoot a Welshman with a longbow on Sunday in the
103:
1201:
594:
311:
840:
961:
1129:
505:
341:
is specifically exempted from being considered a "toxic substance" under an employees' right to know law.
272:
595:"COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2257/94 of 16 September 1994 laying down quality standards for bananas"
1364:
356:
231:
111:
992:
1186:
552:
388:
755:
655:
310:
A myth that it is illegal to hunt camels in
Arizona is loosely inspired by the true story of the
196:
133:
877:
905:
1342:
1324:
1304:
1284:
1268:
1246:
1226:
1033:
938:
461:
212:
1159:
241:
259:
1369:
794:
324:
247:
230:
On the other hand, the
Commission confirmed it is illegal to wear a suit of armour in the
170:
152:, sometimes referred to in the media as the 'bendy banana law': the alleged ban on curved
816:
548:
98:
and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by
713:
264:
115:
777:
King Alfred the Great and
Shaftesbury Abbey'-Simon Keynes. Dorset County Council. 1999
1358:
1298:
1240:
1014:
630:
487:
454:
344:
83:
1318:
571:
530:
352:
268:
688:
157:
However, the provisions relating to shape apply fully only to bananas sold as
738:
348:
276:
137:
136:
do not actually exist, or are wildly exaggerated; these are referred to as
327:– in 1897 the Indiana General Assembly considered legislating mathematics.
384:
338:
216:
200:
127:
79:
17:
204:
910:
882:
866:
General Laws of the State of Idaho, Chapter 65 H.B., #214, Section 14
153:
1055:"Fact Check: Is it illegal for Japanese residents to be overweight?"
963:
Bizarre
Regional Laws in the U.S. Are Even Weirder Than You Thought
518:' recalled one EU official. The question stuck and a myth was born.
355:. The ban was put in place in 2004 due to cleanup costs exceeding
258:
169:
bananas. However, a proposal banning straight bananas and other
314:, which tested the use of camels in the Southwest United States.
208:
173:
was brought before the
European Parliament in 2008 and defeated.
819:(Press release). Los Angeles Police Department. 28 October 2004
161:
class; slight defects of shape (but not size) are permitted in
534:
509:
62:
220:
without giving any hint as to their modern non-applicability.
1339:
You can't eat peanuts in church and other little-known laws.
593:
Commission of the
European Communities (16 September 1994).
250:, Section 32: "Handling Salmon in Suspicious Circumstances".
1080:"Police warn against wearing of camouflage clothing - News"
979:
The Eccentric Crank Who Tried To Legislate The Value of Pi
906:"Urban Legends Reference Pages: Brothel Laws Ban Sorority"
689:"Buried diggers and knighted meat: Stubborn urban legends"
425:"It's Illegal to Do What? Strange Laws and Why They Exist"
878:"FACT CHECK: Law Limits Kisses to Five Minutes in Iowa"
207:
after midnight; or a Scotsman within the city walls of
843:, passed August 18, 2004. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
1297:
K. R. Hobbie; Ted LeValliant; Marcel Theroux (2004),
934:"10 Arizona "Dumb Laws" That Are Complete Horse S**t"
1242:
Donkeys Can't Sleep in Bathtubs and other crazy laws
650:
648:
646:
644:
631:"Attempt at EU-wide 'wonky fruit and veg' ban fails"
456:
Donkeys Can't Sleep in Bathtubs and Other Crazy Laws
1300:
Wacky Laws, Weird Decisions, & Strange Statutes
1206:, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 28 August 2013
787:
453:
1013:Mikkelson, Kim LaCapria, David (2 January 2015).
817:"Silly String Banned In Hollywood This Halloween"
789:"The UK's strangest laws that are still enforced"
1015:"FACT CHECK: Is It Illegal to Be Fat in Japan?"
1341:(1st ed.), Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday,
1320:You May Not Tie an Alligator to a Fire Hydrant
1223:The Book of Strange and Curious Legal Oddities
1105:"Unusual laws British travellers fall foul of"
682:
680:
616:"Consolidated text of regulation (as amended)"
1155:"16 odd things that are illegal in Singapore"
549:"Euromyths – time to set the record straight"
78:Several books have been written and numerous
8:
1203:Brits caught out by unusual laws and customs
1038:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
483:"Straight bananas and tea-bag consultations"
430:Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog
271:passed an ordinance banning Silly String in
27:Laws seen as useless, humorous or obsolete
750:
748:
132:A lot of purportedly strange laws within
841:City of Los Angeles Ordinance No. 176176
993:"Wis. Stat. §101.58(2)(j)(2)(f) (2005)"
410:
1267:, Law Commission, 2013, archived from
1031:
932:Hendley, Matthew (11 September 2013).
452:Reynolds, Patrick; Susan Dach (1993).
150:Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2257/94
836:
834:
811:
809:
7:
976:Alasdair Wilkins (31 January 2012),
418:
416:
414:
236:Statute forbidding Bearing of Armour
960:Lily Hay Newman (20 October 2013),
904:Mikkelson, Barbara (23 June 2011).
756:"Legal Curiosities: Fact or Fable?"
714:"Where mince pies break the law..."
656:"Legal Curiosities: Fact or Fable?"
1380:Lists of things considered unusual
739:"UK chooses 'most ludicrous laws'"
663:Law Commission (England and Wales)
568:"Food, drink and straight bananas"
395:Chewing gum sales ban in Singapore
184:Law Commission (England and Wales)
25:
1261:Legal Curiosities: Fact or Fable?
1130:"Barbados travel advice - GOV.UK"
802:from the original on 25 May 2022.
267:cost $ 200,000/year to clean up,
1317:Jeff Koon; Andy Powell (2002),
1281:The Strange Laws of Old England
423:Owens, Kelly (24 April 2018).
203:; or inside the city walls of
1:
531:"Guide to the best euromyths"
506:"Euromyths: Fact and fiction"
383:In Jamaica, Saudi Arabia and
1182:"The world's strangest laws"
876:Evon, Dan (12 April 2016).
1396:
687:Bethan Bell (8 May 2016).
387:it is illegal to dress in
125:
93:
1337:Seuling, Barbara (1975),
312:United States Camel Corps
1279:Nigel Cawthorne (2013),
1221:Nathan Belofsky (2010),
1059:The Florida Times-Union
741:. BBC. 7 November 2007.
280:
234:according to the 1313
629:BBC (25 March 2010).
460:. : Watermill Press.
262:
126:Further information:
798:. 8 September 2016.
232:Houses of Parliament
112:prohibition of dying
100:adding missing items
1239:Susan Dach (1993),
553:European Commission
389:camouflage clothing
182:In March 2013, the
719:. 23 December 2006
491:. 24 August 2007.
281:
134:European Union law
1375:Law-related lists
939:Phoenix New Times
555:. 23 August 2007.
59:legal curiosities
16:(Redirected from
1387:
1351:
1333:
1313:
1293:
1275:
1273:
1266:
1255:
1235:
1208:
1207:
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1172:
1171:
1169:
1167:
1160:Business Insider
1151:
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1140:
1126:
1120:
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1084:Jamaica Observer
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619:
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601:
590:
584:
583:
581:
579:
570:. Archived from
563:
557:
556:
545:
539:
538:
537:. 23 March 2007.
527:
521:
520:
517:
502:
496:
495:
479:
473:
471:
459:
448:
442:
441:
439:
437:
420:
242:Alfred the Great
171:misshapen fruits
104:reliable sources
51:unnecessary laws
21:
1395:
1394:
1390:
1389:
1388:
1386:
1385:
1384:
1355:
1354:
1349:
1336:
1331:
1316:
1311:
1296:
1291:
1278:
1274:on 29 June 2015
1271:
1264:
1258:
1253:
1238:
1233:
1220:
1217:
1215:Further reading
1212:
1211:
1200:
1199:
1195:
1190:. 21 July 2010.
1180:
1179:
1175:
1165:
1163:
1153:
1152:
1148:
1138:
1136:
1128:
1127:
1123:
1113:
1111:
1109:Telegraph.co.uk
1103:
1102:
1098:
1088:
1086:
1078:
1077:
1073:
1063:
1061:
1053:Fader, Carole.
1052:
1051:
1047:
1030:
1023:
1021:
1012:
1011:
1007:
997:
995:
991:
990:
986:
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959:
958:
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944:
942:
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930:
926:
916:
914:
903:
902:
898:
888:
886:
875:
874:
870:
865:
861:
856:. 5 April 2009.
852:
851:
847:
839:
832:
822:
820:
815:
814:
807:
795:The Independent
786:
785:
781:
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772:
758:
754:
753:
746:
737:
736:
732:
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591:
587:
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564:
560:
547:
546:
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529:
528:
524:
515:
512:. 8 June 2004.
504:
503:
499:
481:
480:
476:
468:
451:
449:
445:
435:
433:
422:
421:
412:
407:
401:
366:
364:Other countries
325:Indiana Pi Bill
305:sorority houses
257:
248:Salmon Act 1986
197:Cathedral Close
180:
130:
124:
107:
92:
72:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
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1213:
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1209:
1193:
1173:
1146:
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1096:
1071:
1045:
1005:
984:
968:
952:
924:
896:
868:
859:
845:
830:
805:
779:
770:
764:Law Commission
744:
730:
705:
676:
640:
621:
607:
585:
574:on 22 May 2009
558:
540:
522:
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406:
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380:
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371:
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361:
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337:In Wisconsin,
334:
333:
329:
328:
321:
320:
316:
315:
308:
301:
297:
296:
292:
291:
286:
285:
284:Misrepresented
265:aerosol string
256:
253:
252:
251:
245:
239:
227:
226:
222:
221:
213:Glyndŵr Rising
192:
191:
179:
178:United Kingdom
176:
175:
174:
146:
145:
144:Misrepresented
123:
122:European Union
120:
116:copyright trap
91:
88:
71:
68:
55:legal oddities
33:, also called
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1392:
1381:
1378:
1376:
1373:
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1363:
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1348:9780385013932
1344:
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1330:9780743230650
1326:
1322:
1321:
1315:
1312:
1310:9781402716706
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1302:
1301:
1295:
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1290:9780749954154
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1262:
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1252:9780893752644
1248:
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1234:
1232:9781101188965
1228:
1224:
1219:
1218:
1214:
1205:
1204:
1197:
1194:
1189:
1188:
1187:The Telegraph
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869:
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835:
831:
818:
812:
810:
806:
801:
797:
796:
790:
783:
780:
774:
771:
767:. March 2013.
766:
765:
757:
751:
749:
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731:
718:
715:
709:
706:
694:
690:
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641:
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611:
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596:
589:
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573:
569:
566:Andrew Duff.
562:
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550:
544:
541:
536:
532:
526:
523:
519:
511:
507:
501:
498:
494:
490:
489:
488:The Economist
484:
478:
475:
472:among others.
469:
467:0-89375-264-9
463:
458:
457:
450:For example,
447:
444:
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255:United States
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89:
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85:
84:chain letters
81:
76:
69:
67:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
19:
1338:
1319:
1299:
1280:
1269:the original
1260:
1241:
1222:
1202:
1196:
1185:
1176:
1164:. Retrieved
1158:
1149:
1137:. Retrieved
1133:
1124:
1112:. Retrieved
1108:
1099:
1087:. Retrieved
1083:
1074:
1062:. Retrieved
1058:
1048:
1022:. Retrieved
1018:
1008:
996:. Retrieved
987:
978:
971:
962:
955:
943:. Retrieved
937:
927:
915:. Retrieved
909:
899:
887:. Retrieved
881:
871:
862:
848:
821:. Retrieved
793:
782:
773:
762:
733:
721:. Retrieved
716:
708:
696:. Retrieved
692:
667:. Retrieved
665:. March 2013
634:
624:
610:
600:22 September
598:. Retrieved
588:
578:22 September
576:. Retrieved
572:the original
561:
543:
525:
513:
500:
492:
486:
477:
455:
446:
434:. Retrieved
428:
400:
372:
345:Silly String
319:Never passed
181:
166:
162:
158:
131:
108:
96:dynamic list
77:
73:
58:
54:
50:
47:unusual laws
46:
42:
38:
34:
31:Strange laws
30:
29:
1365:Legal codes
998:19 November
945:31 December
917:3 September
889:31 December
823:21 November
353:Los Angeles
269:Los Angeles
43:futile laws
1359:Categories
405:References
94:This is a
35:weird laws
1166:23 August
1139:6 January
1114:6 January
1089:6 January
349:Halloween
277:Halloween
273:Hollywood
138:Euromyths
80:listicles
39:dumb laws
18:Dumb laws
1034:cite web
800:Archived
717:BBC News
693:BBC News
635:BBC News
385:Barbados
359:200,000.
339:lutefisk
217:BBC News
201:Hereford
167:Class II
128:Euromyth
90:Examples
70:Veracity
1064:19 June
1024:19 June
723:13 June
698:13 June
669:13 June
347:ban on
275:during
205:Chester
163:Class I
154:bananas
75:media.
1370:Humour
1345:
1327:
1307:
1287:
1249:
1229:
1134:gov.uk
1019:Snopes
911:Snopes
883:Snopes
464:
436:3 July
303:That "
263:After
61:, are
1272:(PDF)
1265:(PDF)
759:(PDF)
659:(PDF)
369:False
295:False
290:true.
190:False
159:Extra
102:with
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