EP395 – The World's Strangest Laws: No Salmon Smuggling & Speedo Rules episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 14, 2025 · 43 MIN

EP395 – The World's Strangest Laws: No Salmon Smuggling & Speedo Rules

from Mandarin Monkey Podcast

Ever heard of a law that bans you from handling salmon "suspiciously"? Or a rule that says men must wear Speedos at public pools in France? In this episode, we dive into some of the strangest, most ridiculous laws from around the world. From kites being outlawed in the UK to Japan’s weight regulations, we break down these bizarre rules, their origins, and whether they actually make any sense. Plus, we’ll throw in some Mandarin vocabulary along the way, so you can learn while you laugh!Would you obey these laws or break them just for fun? Tune in to find out!General Law-Related Words法律 (fǎlǜ) – Law法规 (fǎguī) – Regulation非法 (fēifǎ) – Illegal违法 (wéifǎ) – Against the law规定 (guīdìng) – Rule/regulation政府 (zhèngfǔ) – Government批准 (pīzhǔn) – ApprovalWeird Law Examples & VocabularyIllegal to handle salmon suspiciously (UK 🇬🇧)鲑鱼 (guīyú) – Salmon可疑 (kěyí) – Suspicious处理 (chǔlǐ) – To handleNo flying kites in public places (UK 🇬🇧)风筝 (fēngzhēng) – Kite公共场所 (gōnggòng chǎngsuǒ) – Public placeIllegal to be drunk in a pub (UK 🇬🇧)酒吧 (jiǔbā) – Pub/bar喝醉 (hē zuì) – To be drunkNo ice cream in your back pocket (US 🇺🇸, Alabama)冰淇淋 (bīngqílín) – Ice cream口袋 (kǒudài) – PocketIllegal to wake a sleeping bear for a photo (US 🇺🇸, Alaska)熊 (xióng) – Bear拍照 (pāizhào) – Take a photoNo donkeys sleeping in bathtubs (US 🇺🇸, Arizona)驴 (lǘ) – Donkey浴缸 (yùgāng) – BathtubMen must wear Speedos in public pools (France 🇫🇷)泳池 (yóuyǒngchí) – Swimming pool紧身泳裤 (jǐnshēn yǒngkù) – SpeedosNo chewing gum in Singapore (🇸🇬)口香糖 (kǒuxiāngtáng) – Chewing gumYou must walk your dog daily (Germany 🇩🇪)遛狗 (liù gǒu) – Walk the dog宠物 (chǒngwù) – PetIllegal to name your pig ‘Napoleon’ (France 🇫🇷)猪 (zhū) – Pig名字 (míngzì) – NameNo flushing toilets after 10 PM (Switzerland 🇨🇭)厕所 (cèsuǒ) – Toilet晚上 (wǎnshàng) – NighttimeIn China, you cannot reincarnate without government approval (China 🇨🇳)转世 (zhuǎnshì) – Reincarnation灵魂 (línghún) – SoulIllegal to change a lightbulb without a license (Australia 🇦🇺)灯泡 (dēngpào) – Lightbulb执照 (zhízhào) – License Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever heard of a law that bans you from handling salmon "suspiciously"? Or a rule that says men must wear Speedos at public pools in France? In this episode, we dive into some of the strangest, most ridiculous laws from around the world. From kites being outlawed in the UK to Japan’s weight regulations, we break down these bizarre rules, their origins, and whether they actually make any sense. Plus, we’ll throw in some Mandarin vocabulary along the way, so you can learn while you laugh!Would you obey these laws or break them just for fun? Tune in to find out!General Law-Related Words法律 (fǎlǜ) – Law法规 (fǎguī) – Regulation非法 (fēifǎ) – Illegal违法 (wéifǎ) – Against the law规定 (guīdìng) – Rule/regulation政府 (zhèngfǔ) – Government批准 (pīzhǔn) – ApprovalWeird Law Examples & VocabularyIllegal to handle salmon suspiciously (UK 🇬🇧)鲑鱼 (guīyú) – Salmon可疑 (kěyí) – Suspicious处理 (chǔlǐ) – To handleNo flying kites in public places (UK 🇬🇧)风筝 (fēngzhēng) – Kite公共场所 (gōnggòng chǎngsuǒ) – Public placeIllegal to be drunk in a pub (UK 🇬🇧)酒吧 (jiǔbā) – Pub/bar喝醉 (hē zuì) – To be drunkNo ice cream in your back pocket (US 🇺🇸, Alabama)冰淇淋 (bīngqílín) – Ice cream口袋 (kǒudài) – PocketIllegal to wake a sleeping bear for a photo (US 🇺🇸, Alaska)熊 (xióng) – Bear拍照 (pāizhào) – Take a photoNo donkeys sleeping in bathtubs (US 🇺🇸, Arizona)驴 (lǘ) – Donkey浴缸 (yùgāng) – BathtubMen must wear Speedos in public pools (France 🇫🇷)泳池 (yóuyǒngchí) – Swimming pool紧身泳裤 (jǐnshēn yǒngkù) – SpeedosNo chewing gum in Singapore (🇸🇬)口香糖 (kǒuxiāngtáng) – Chewing gumYou must walk your dog daily (Germany 🇩🇪)遛狗 (liù gǒu) – Walk the dog宠物 (chǒngwù) – PetIllegal to name your pig ‘Napoleon’ (France 🇫🇷)猪 (zhū) – Pig名字 (míngzì) – NameNo flushing toilets after 10 PM (Switzerland 🇨🇭)厕所 (cèsuǒ) – Toilet晚上 (wǎnshàng) – NighttimeIn China, you cannot reincarnate without government approval (China 🇨🇳)转世 (zhuǎnshì) – Reincarnation灵魂 (línghún) – SoulIllegal to change a lightbulb without a license (Australia 🇦🇺)灯泡 (dēngpào) – Lightbulb执照 (zhízhào) – License Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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EP395 – The World's Strangest Laws: No Salmon Smuggling & Speedo Rules

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This episode was published on March 14, 2025.

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Ever heard of a law that bans you from handling salmon "suspiciously"? Or a rule that says men must wear Speedos at public pools in France? In this episode, we dive into some of the strangest, most ridiculous laws from around the world. From kites...

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