Weird. I talk how I talk, to everyone. If I receive a look of puzzlement, I shift gears and use less "50 cent words", even though it often doesn't convey the message as well.

Of course, I worked in a high-tech professional environment. So the people I dealt with were well educated.

Less 50 cent words? Me? Heck, I'm sure my lack of ? education shows up here with my spelling and grammar.
As I said before I was edukated in the Black Board Jungle schools of Manhattan, didn't attend college.
It didn't stop me though attending a Public Tech school when my sons were old enough.
Yep, it was strange for a young women attending an all male attended tech school and the resentment of, 'what am I doing here? Long story short I received my machinist certificate and employed by a world wide prestigious company, machining components for their x-ray machines.
My salary equaled that and sometimes more than those of highly educated wo/men speaking the Kings English.
My skilled profession is in demand.
My Black and hispanic coworkers cheered me on. They knew where I was coming from, like them 'affirmative action' helped me break into areas of the snob educated elite.