Face-checking

I get a lot of really funny looks whenever I use the term "face-checking" in the midst of the general population. Most of my gaming friends know what I'm talking about, but I'll leave a little definition here so anyone who wants to can see what I mean.

So the term "face-checking" comes from the game League of Legends. In this game there is a rather large map that has 3 "lanes" of fighting with area in between and most of the action takes place in these lanes.

Since this is a 5v5 game, the game etiquette says that two characters go in the bottom/top lanes and one person from each team goes into the middle lane. With that being said, there are no restrictions to where you can actually go.

Don't worry, this is leading up to the definition.

Now in the "jungle" (the trees section of the map between lanes) and in the "river" as well as in the bottom and top lanes there are bushes. The interesting function of these bushes is that you basically become invisible within the bush. Nothing in the bush can be seen unless there is Line of Sight (LoS) in the bush for your team. This can be done with sight/vision wards, or by having an allied champion in the bush as well. However, if your team doesn't have any LoS inside of the bush, its a dark abyss with unknown occupants.

This is where face-checking comes in. Face-checking is the verb that basically means "running headlong into the unknown and hoping for the best." Because you could run into the bush and have a  grand ol' time just sitting in there by yourself, waiting to gank (kill using the element of surprise) the next opponent that happens to walk by. Or if luck seems to escape you, the entire enemy team could be sitting in that bush waiting for a kill and you just so happen to run right into all of them... Bushes are a dangerous place.

Now in world of the living, the term face-checking still exists but in a slightly different context. Instead of blindly running into a bush and hoping the enemy isn't there to kick the piss out of you, it exists in a situational sense. For example: face-checking a test would be going into it with barely any knowledge, but giving it your all anyways because there's no reason not to. Sure all the knowledge may not be there and the thought could be "I'll probably fail" but instead its approached from the standpoint of "LET'S DO THIS!!!"

But as of late after listening to myself it seems to relate more and more to relationships and drama between people. Face-checking a relationship would be more akin to the thought process of:

1. See pretty girl
2. Wonder who she is
3. Ask her on a date
4. ?????
5. PROFIT $$$

Well... Maybe not quite to that extreme, but I think it proves the point I'm trying to make. Just going at something knowing failure is a great probability, but its that little glimmer of hope for success that forces the hand and you go at it with the idea of nothing but success in your mind as you make your move.

Sure its a little ridiculous, but maybe this will stop some of the funny looks I get... I doubt it will stop the ones I get for doing the dance for The Locomotion next to the drinks in the Tilly though... Oh well.