Where in the world is it dangerous to sing Sinatra's "My Way"?

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The world moves forward and modernizes faster than ever, yet the law doesn’t always keep up. Some of the most absurd rules still linger in the laws of certain countries. If you think it’s ridiculous to ban chewing gum, to sing "My Way" at karaoke, or to get drunk in a pub, then this article is for you. Join us as we discover 10 crazy laws that, believe it or not, are still in effect.

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In 1992, Singapore implemented one of the strictest bans in the world: it became illegal to import, produce, or sell chewing gum. In the 1980s and 1990s, the government of this Southeast Asian nation noticed gum stuck everywhere—on sidewalks, in elevators, even on subway door sensors.

To reverse this trend, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who had a vision of order and extreme cleanliness, decreed that chewing gum could not be imported, produced, or sold anywhere in the country. This measure was part of a new model of social discipline that turned Singapore into a beacon of neatness and efficiency envied even by the most developed nations.

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In Kentucky, it is technically illegal to carry ice cream in your back pocket. Yes, you heard right. This ban dates back to the 19th century, when horse thieves were in vogue. The story goes that crooks would slip ice cream into their pockets to tempt horses to follow them—avoiding charges of outright theft.

This law was never repealed, so technically, if a Kentucky police officer caught you with ice cream melting in your back pocket, they could cite you. Unlikely? Absolutely. But still on the books!

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In Burundi, as in many other countries, group jogging was once a very popular activity. But when the opposition Movement for Solidarity and Democracy organized a mass jogging event in 2014, things quickly took a turn.

That year, the government of President Pierre Nkurunziza, himself a former PE teacher, banned group jogging, viewing it as a veiled act of subversion. Some participants were even arrested. Despite this heavy-handed measure, the small East African nation has still managed to produce several Olympic athletes. How? Determination seems to outpace the ban.

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Watching a favorite artist lip-sync is always disappointing. Turkmenistan took the issue very seriously and decided to do something about it. In 2005, President Saparmurat Niyazov banned lip-syncing throughout the country. The ban applied not only at concerts, but also on television and even at weddings. According to him, lip-syncing harmed the development of musical art.

But this wasn’t the only absurd measure imposed by Niyazov. He also banned opera and ballet, the use of gold teeth, makeup on TV presenters, and pet dogs in the capital. In addition, he renamed the months of the year in honor of his family members and even built a golden statue of himself. A bit egocentric, don’t you think?

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Since the 1990s, blue jeans have been banned in North Korea because they are seen as a symbol of Western capitalist culture. Tight pants, T-shirts with foreign brand logos, and certain types of haircuts are also prohibited.

Don't believe us? In 2024, North Korean state television broadcast an episode of the BBC series Garden Secrets in which presenter Alan Titchmarsh was wearing jeans. To get around the ban, the network simply blurred out his pants—creating a bizarre image that quickly sparked memes on social media.

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Keeping fish in round bowls is illegal in Rome. Experts argue that they are cruel because they limit oxygenation, distort the fish’s vision, and force constant circular swimming, making them dizzy and stressed.

In 2005, Rome introduced an animal welfare law that banned round fishbowls, along with other measures to protect pets. Over time, other regions of Italy adopted similar rules.

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This absurd rule seems like something out of a Monty Python comedy sketch, but we assure you, it’s completely real. You may be wondering, what exactly "under suspicious circumstances" means? So are we, and it has nothing to do with running away with a salmon under your arm.

The UK’s Salmon Act of 1986 was originally meant to combat illegal salmon fishing. However, as you can imagine, it has caused all kinds of misunderstandings due to its ambiguous language. In 2013, the British Ministry of Justice even reviewed it in a report called Obsolete or Unnecessary Laws. Yet, despite the laughs it inspires, the rule technically remains in force.

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Due to a series of incidents, the city of Chesapeake, Virginia, passed an ordinance in the 1970s banning anyone over the age of 12 from trick-or-treating on Halloween. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $250.

In 2019, the law went viral and sparked a wave of backlash. In response, city officials relaxed the ordinance and raised the maximum age to 14.

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What’s your go-to karaoke song? If your answer is "My Way" and you’re planning a trip to the Philippines, you might want to change your mind. This unusual rule isn’t written into law, but it’s taken very seriously. In this Southeast Asian country, performing Frank Sinatra’s iconic hit in public is highly discouraged.

Doing so could literally cost you your life. According to lore, there have been several homicides linked to performances of this song in karaoke bars. The phenomenon even has its own chilling nickname: "The My Way Killings." Why this song in particular? Some suggest that the boldness—and even arrogance—of its lyrics has sparked violent confrontations.

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Did you know there’s a rumor that you can be fined for farting in public in Florida? The "catch"? It supposedly only applies if it’s a Thursday and after 6 p.m. We can’t confirm whether it’s true—or how anyone could enforce it—but either way, it’s definitely poor etiquette, so avoid doing it anyway.

Even if this law is just an urban legend, Florida has plenty of other equally absurd ordinances. For instance, it’s illegal to sing in public while wearing a swimsuit; if you tie your pet to a parking meter, you must pay as if it were a car; using a skateboard requires a driver’s license; and falling asleep while getting a haircut is prohibited.

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Technically, it is illegal to get drunk in a pub in the United Kingdom. We know—it sounds ridiculous, especially given the Brits’ well-known love of beer. This rule comes from the Licensing Act of 1872, which states that anyone found drunk in a public place is guilty of a misdemeanor.

This law is as absurd as prohibiting crying at a wake or getting wet in a swimming pool, yet it’s still in force. A more modern version clarifies that it is also illegal to sell alcohol to someone who is visibly drunk—which, frankly, makes a lot more sense!

Superstitious speech

The eerie belief behind saying "bless you" after a sneeze

We use phrases like "bless you" or "break a leg" every day, but have you ever stopped to wonder where they actually came from? Many of our favorite figures of speech are rooted in the old superstitions of our ancestors: fears, beliefs, and traditions that haven't quite faded away. Let’s uncover the fascinating, sometimes eerie, backstories behind 10 idioms we use all the time.

When someone sneezes, "bless you" is the automatic response. This tradition began in the 6th century, primarily thanks to Pope Gregory the Great, who ordered the saying of "God bless you" to protect people from the plague, as sneezing was considered an early symptom of sickness.

Some also trace it back to an ancient belief, shared across Europe and Asia, that a sneeze was the body's way of driving out evil spirits, or even the soul briefly trying to escape. According to the legend, saying "God bless you" was a quick, necessary prayer to protect the sneezer’s soul from being snatched by the devil before it settled back in.

"Cross your fingers" is a widely recognized way of wishing for a positive outcome. It originated in the 16th-century Christian practice of physically crossing one's fingers to signify the cross and invoke divine protection.

Over time, the hand gesture evolved from a silent, pious prayer into a casual expression. Now, we use it in everyday conversation to show support for a friend or to signal that we are banking on a specific, desired result during a stressful situation.

We use this expression when we wish someone good luck before they step on stage, or, more broadly, before any high-pressure moment.

The origins are surprisingly murky for such a well-known phrase. The most widely accepted theory traces it back to the competitive world of American vaudeville and Broadway in the early 20th century, where wishing someone good luck directly would actually invite bad luck. Saying the opposite was a way of outsmarting fate.

"Speak of the devil" is one of those phrases we use almost automatically. The moment someone walks into a room right after being mentioned in conversation, someone inevitably says it.

The expression is a shortening of a traditional English proverb, 'speak of the devil, and he shall appear,' which dates back to at least the 1500s-1600s. The original meaning was far less casual: it was a genuine warning rooted in the medieval Christian belief that speaking of evil, even in passing, was thought to invite it into your presence.

Imagine your boss is about to call on you to present a report you completely forgot to prepare, but just as he turns to you, an urgent call comes in, and the meeting gets cancelled. Being saved by the bell means to be rescued from a difficult situation at the very last second.

Due to a 19th-century custom, bells were attached to coffins to alert people in case someone woke up, reflecting the widespread fear at the time of being buried alive. It is a perfect example of a dark, historical anxiety morphing into a lighthearted, everyday piece of office humor.

There's no single definitive origin story or specific text where this expression first appeared. It likely evolved organically from the general cultural association between wind and chaos. Today, the expression means to act recklessly or boldly, ignoring risks.

The phrase draws from a long tradition of wind-related idioms in English that associate wind with unpredictability and lack of control ("gone with the wind," "which way the wind blows," etc.).

In seafaring culture, "throwing caution to the wind" may also connect to the idea of sailing recklessly by putting up too much sail despite dangerous conditions: essentially letting the wind take over rather than navigating carefully.

The phrase "it must be a Friday the 13th" has become an idiomatic way to complain about a day when everything goes wrong. It draws on the combined superstitions surrounding the number 13, often linked to the 13 guests at the Last Supper (1st century AD), and the perceived misfortune of Friday, the day of the Crucifixion. When we use this expression, we aren't necessarily expressing deep fear; we are simply using a culturally shared shorthand to describe a series of unfortunate, coincidental events.

We often use the idiom "like walking through a minefield" to describe a social situation that is incredibly tense and fraught with hidden dangers. While it sounds like a literal warning, it has become a common expression for navigating tricky interpersonal politics. The phrase originated in the early 20th century, specifically around World War I (circa 1915), when the use of landmines became a terrifying new reality of modern warfare. It quickly shifted from a military term to a popular metaphor.

"Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck" is an idiomatic rhyme that turns a mundane discovery into a superstitious event. The underlying belief likely traces back to ancient societies across Europe and Asia, who saw metal as a sacred gift from the gods, forged from the earth itself. Finding a piece of it was no accident; it was a sign of divine favor. By the early 20th century, it evolved to include the penny. Today, reciting this idiom acknowledges our enduring, playful hope for a little extra luck.

When we say "knock on wood," we express an idiom to express a desire for continued good fortune or to ward off bad luck after boasting. It’s just a reflexive, superstitious way to keep the bad luck at bay, even if we’re only knocking on a laminated desk.

One popular theory traces it to ancient pagan cultures, particularly those that regarded trees as sacred or inhabited by spirits — a belief found across pre-Christian Europe, from Norse to Celtic traditions. By knocking on the trunk, people hoped to awaken these benevolent spirits to request protection, or sometimes to distract malicious ones from spoiling their good fortune. However, folklorists note there is little concrete evidence for this, and the true origin remains uncertain.