The Real Reason It's Illegal To Slurp Your Soup In New Jersey

New Jersey is often the victim of many insults. From living in the shadow of New York to being called "The Armpit of America," it frequently gets lots of flack from non-New Jerseyans (via ArmpitNJ.com).

But an article from The New York Times brings up a list of strange laws which might explain the phrase, "What Happens in Jersey, Stays in Jersey." The story includes a bunch of strange laws that are specific to the Garden State.

These range from being fined for spitting at a horse in Freehold and not being allowed to buy ice cream past 6 p.m. in Newark. The latter of these two laws is exempted with the possession of a doctor's note, but even so, it sounds ridiculous to many. Yet, according to Lite Rock 96.9, this is completely a chargeable and finable offense. 

Furthermore, New Jersey has another strange food law that is even more obscure and harder to keep track of — slurping soup.

Some people have reasons why you should slurp, such as that it enhances the taste of soup, and it helps to cool it down. According to Food52, the former theory has actually been tested and proven, with "slurpers" reporting a more favorable rating of their soup than quiet eaters. Furthermore, this law disregards the fact that slurping is also a sign of respect in some cultures (via GoinGlobal). 

So, why is it that slurping soup in New Jersey is punishable by law? According to The New York Times, this law was pulled from the official website of the New Jersey judiciary, which does not include an explanation as to why the laws are the way they are. In addition, there is no specification on how strict this rule actually is. Furthermore, there isn't any information for when the law was implemented.

But to be safe, when in Jersey, perhaps soup lovers ought to slurp in the safety of their own homes.