Have you ever wondered why we "turn a blind eye," "pull out all the stops," or "fly off the handle"? In this episode, Shane and Duncan dive into the quirky, surprising, and sometimes downright bizarre origins of the phrases we use every day. From ancient customs to historical mishaps, discover the stories behind the words—and how they’ve stood the test of time. Get ready to uncover the ‘writing on the wall’ about your favorite idioms and figures of speech!

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Join the Midnight Masses!

Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas. 

And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word! 

Midnight Merch

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Merry Christmas, insomniacs! Here's a blast from the past. We hope you're having an amazing holiday season. 

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Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at PATREON

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In this episode:  

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Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas. 

And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word! 

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Crack open the door on one of the world’s most intriguing and controversial faiths: The Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Despite requiring members to give up holidays, patriotism, voting, birthday celebrations, popular music, any real chance of eternal life in heaven, and blood consumption (seriously), the church topped 8 million members in 2014 and continues to expand.

From apocalyptic roots and bold predictions to relentless evangelical hustle, find out how a tiny group of contrarian Bible students gradually built one of the largest doomsday cults on earth.

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Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at PATREON

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Chat with fellow insomniacs and vote on episode topics via DISCORD

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Join the Midnight Masses!

Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas. 

And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word! 

Midnight Merch

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Who would be in your top 5? Tell us in the Discord...

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Access the entire back catalog of After Midnights, plus bonus episodes and video livestreams over at the brand new MFFI Patreon: 

PATREON

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Join the Midnight Masses!

Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas. 

And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word! 

Midnight Merch

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PART 3!

In this final topic of spooky season, unravel the sinister saga of the Manson Family and the pint-sized puppet master who convinced his followers that Helter Skelter was more than just a Beatles song. From the infamous Hollywood murders to the courtroom circus that followed, Shane and Duncan explore how Manson’s twisted charisma led to one of the darkest chapters in American history.

INKY'S VIRAL MOMENT: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8NFTxXk/

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Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at PATREON

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Chat with fellow insomniacs and vote on episode topics via DISCORD

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Join the Midnight Masses!

Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas. 

And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word! 

Midnight Merch

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Happy holidays from MFFI!

In honor of our upcoming 5-year anniversary, we've decided it's time to refresh our podcast logo and cover art. We haven't settled on a concept yet, so we're asking for some input; if you have ideas for what might be an eye catching and memorable logo, please reach out to us through email or Instagram or the Discord community.

Thanks again for listening and supporting the show in any way that you can. We couldn't be happier to ring in the new year--and celebrate five years of insomnia--with the Midnight Masses. 

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PART 3!

In this final topic of spooky season, unravel the sinister saga of the Manson Family and the pint-sized puppet master who convinced his followers that Helter Skelter was more than just a Beatles song. From the infamous Hollywood murders to the courtroom circus that followed, Shane and Duncan explore how Manson’s twisted charisma led to one of the darkest chapters in American history.

~

Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at PATREON

~

Chat with fellow insomniacs and vote on episode topics via DISCORD

~

Join the Midnight Masses!

Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas. 

And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word! 

Midnight Merch

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Leave an Audio Message!

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PART 2!

In this final topic of spooky season, unravel the sinister saga of the Manson Family and the pint-sized puppet master who convinced his followers that Helter Skelter was more than just a Beatles song. From the infamous Hollywood murders to the courtroom circus that followed, Shane and Duncan explore how Manson’s twisted charisma led to one of the darkest chapters in American history.

~

Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at PATREON

~

Chat with fellow insomniacs and vote on episode topics via DISCORD

~

Join the Midnight Masses!

Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas. 

And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word! 

Midnight Merch

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Leave an Audio Message!

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ENCORE!

Shane needed a break, but we'll be back with a regular episode next week. In the meantime, if you need to chat or decompress, join our Discord community:

MFFI DISCORD

Warning: if you're not a fan of dark humor, feel free to skip this episode. We won't judge you! For our fellow twisted weirdos...enjoy. 

"The Darwin Awards salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who accidentally remove themselves from it in a spectacular manner!"

IN THIS EPISODE:

History of the Darwin Awards

Wendy Northcut, opportunist

Death By:

• Self-shooting demonstration - Clement Vallandigham

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Join the Midnight Masses!

Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas. 

And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word! 

https://midnightbonus.weebly.com/midnight-merch.html

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CONTACT:

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~ KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, AND SLEEP IS OVERRATED ~

Hey Insomniacs, we have something very special for you today. We're bringing you an episode of one of our favorite podcasts!

AHC (Asshole Court) is a show in which three lifelong friends--Buddy, Mikey, and Randy--examine the life of a public figure who may or may not be a giant asshole. They assign a preliminary score based on what they already know of the person, and then they delve into the details of his or her life, and at the end they determine the celebrity's final score (rated from 1 to 11: Mr. Rogers to Hitler). Subjects have included Steven Seagal, Connor McGregor, Joe Rogan, Alex Jones, Kanye, Harvey Weinstein, Tom Cruise, Diddy, Andrew Tate, and even Dolly Parton (spoiler alert: not an asshole.)

Since you're presumably a fan of OUR show, we know you enjoy laughing and learning, so we're confident you're going to love AHC. We hope you'll give them a listen, and include asshole court in your regular podcast rotation. Thanks so much for being an insomniac, and we'll be back next week!