Mr. HARDY: If it's a weapon that is not in common use, then it can be banned.

NPR: Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban

Though the use of such laws is not common in countries with claims to modernity, it is far from unique to Malaysia.

ECONOMIST: The shaming of Malaysia

"For 80 percent of the common chemicals in everyday use in this country we know almost nothing about whether or not they can damage the brains of children, the immune system, the reproductive system, and the other developing organs, " said Dr. Phil Landrigan, a pediatrician and director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

CNN: Toxic chemicals finding their way into the womb

According to Brookes, the latter use of literally - which is especially common in an informal context - sometimes does not add anything to the meaning of a sentence.

BBC: Why is 'literally' such a troublesome word?