Readers: Do they care about word choice?

So I was complaining about things that annoy me in writing to my non-journalist girlfriend and I asked her question about a lede I hated: Something super-cliche.
It didn't seem to bother her at all. Neither did the sportscenter-y lingo found in other stories.
I know my girlfriend isn't the average reader, but she's a casual sports page peruser in her mid 20s — someone no different than the schlubs in focus groups — the people we redesign and try to appeal to.
I've cursed writers who use verbs such as "poured" to describe a made three-point shot or turn every gamer into an endless personification of a team's mascot (see "cat fight"). But these are people who've got better jobs than me and seem to have great job security.

Do readers even care? Do they even enjoy that "style?"

 

Any pictures to share?

 

To younger readers, the kind of style you describe is considered cute, trendy and unobtrusive. I've discovered (and this isn't scientific by any means), the older a reader gets, the smarter they become and the less they want to read that kind of crap. It takes a hell of a lot of talented writers and editors to pull off intelligent, witty and cliche-free copy that can appeal to that demographic. Otherwise, it's just Chris Berman. That's my take, anyway.

 

You know what's happened at my place, and it's only stoppable to some extent?

The old '40s-'50s-whatever jargon is popular with the younger editors.

Pitchers hurling. Pacts being inked. Etc.

Kinda weird. It's either simply bad, or kind of retro. I'm sometimes not quite sure.

 

Any hassocks bulging?

 

They safe that for Happy Hour.

 

Naw, we haven't gotten that far. I'm sure some of them have been juiced, though.

 

I think a return to the old school newspaper jargon is kind of cool in small doses.

Don't need to see any thinclads, though.

 

Probably if they see pictures of the 20-year-old girlfriend.

 

Bertolt,

I've had the same experience with non-journalist friends and family.

They just don't notice or care.

 

Most people can tell good writing from bad writing, even if they can't verbalize why something is good or bad.

 

I agree with Some Guy. They aren't actively scrutinizing the writing, but they can tell if something sucks, especially if they're regular readers.