bone factory

1. A cemetery or graveyard. I refuse to walk through a bone factory at night—all the graves just creep me out. Dude, you're not getting any offers because your house backs up to a bone factory, and nobody wants dead people for neighbors! The older kids dared me to go into the bone factory all by myself at night—that's why you found me there.

2. A hospital. Yep, a skiing accident landed Todd in the bone factory with several injuries. A: "Your grandmother is in the bone factory? Is she OK?" B: "Yeah, she's just having surgery on her hip." I took a nasty fall down the steps, but luckily I didn't need to go to the bone factory, and my bruises are on the mend now.

dropout factory

A high school that has an unusually high number of students who leave school (drop out) before graduating. Primarily heard in US. With so little funding going to public education these days, it's no wonder that so many schools are becoming dropout factories. I'm impressed you got your diploma from that school—I'd heard it had turned into a real dropout factory. Because our local school is a dropout factory, my parents sent me to a prep school several towns over.

factory farming

An inexpensive and efficient system of farming in which animals are fed for growth and kept in small pens. Usually used in a derogatory manner to highlight the negative consequences of such a system. Can we implement a system that is more humane than factory farming? My guess is that factory farming will be around as long as it's a less expensive option than others. If you're a big supporter of animal rights, you must be opposed to things like factory farming.

gargle factory

slang A bar. You guys were at the gargle factory until the wee hours of the morning—how hungover are you? It's been a long week—want to go to the gargle factory with me? I got up and did karaoke at the gargle factory last night? Hoo boy, I must have had quite a few drinks then!

giggle factory

dated slang A derogatory term for a psychiatric hospital or mental health facility. Primarily heard in Australia, New Zealand. I'm getting so burnt out that I feel like I'm losing my mind. If I don't take a vacation soon, I'll be headed to the giggle factory!

glue factory

Where animals, particularly old horses, are said to be sent so that their bones can be used to make "animal glue" (an adhesive prepared from animal parts). The phrase can also be applied to people. Please don't mention the "glue factory" around my son—he's too young to hear that that's where his favorite old horse went. I'm not that old—don't send me to the glue factory! A: "How can you even consider putting Grandma in a nursing home?" B: "A really nice nursing home! Geez, you act like I'm sending her to the glue factory!

nut factory

old-fashioned slang A derogatory and offensive term for a psychiatric hospital or insane asylum. "Nut" is a derogatory slang term meaning "a crazy person." My great aunt Lidia apparently got locked up in a nut factory when she was a teenager because she said she could commune with ghosts. I can't go to the police about it! They'd throw me in the nut factory if I came to them with such an unbelievable story.

nuthouse

old-fashioned slang A derogatory and offensive term for a psychiatric hospital or insane asylum. "Nut" is a derogatory slang term meaning "a crazy person." My great aunt Lidia apparently got locked up in a nuthouse when she was a teenager because she said she could commune with ghosts. I can't go to the police about it! They'd throw me in the nuthouse if I came to them with such an unbelievable story.

on the factory floor

1. In the primary part of a factory where goods are produced or assembled. They figured out that the defect had to do with a manufacturing error on the factory floor.

2. Working in that part of a factory. I spent nearly 10 years on the factory floor before being offered a position in the management team.

piss factory

dated slang A cheap, grimy bar; a dive bar. As soon as I got out of prison, I went to the first piss factory I could find and drank myself into a welcome stupor.

poop factory

rude slang A person or animal that defecates frequently. For such a tiny baby, Sara is a real poop factory. All we do is change diapers! Be careful walking across the grass—geese are back for the spring, and boy are they poop factories.

spook factory

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). "Spook" is a slang term for an undercover intelligence agent or spy. The 25-year-old from Wisconsin quickly came to be one of the top agents to come out of the spook factory. After 30 years of service in the field, I'm looking to fall back on a cushy administrative job back at the spook factory.

bone factory

1. n. a hospital. After about two months in the bone factory, I was back on the job.

2. n. a cemetery. I know I’ll end up in the bone factory just like everyone else.

gargle factory

n. a saloon; a tavern. Gary spends a lot of time at the gargle factory.

glue factory

n. the place where old horses are sent so their bones can be made into glue; a similar, imaginary place for people. I’m not as young as I used to be, but I’m not ready for the glue factory yet.

nuthouse

and nut factory and nut-foundry and nuthatch

n. an insane asylum. The teacher spent three years in the nuthouse. When did you get out of the nut factory?

nut factory

verb

See nuthouse

piss factory

n. a bar, tavern, or saloon. (Usually objectionable.) I stopped in at the piss factory for a round or two.

spook factory

n. the CIA (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency) near Washington, D.C., where spies are said to be trained. Tom got a job in the spook factory.