I've been thinking about this for awhile and this is a tough one! I definitely feel that language, class, and work have a definite relationship. I do however feel it's dependent. I'm a middle class woman and I speak english fairly well. I think that maybe if I would have been poor or extremely wealthy I would speak differently.

I work at a campground in the summer where I've worked there the longest besides everyone but the manager. I can relate to Odysseus because I have a lot of responsibilty and make a lot of decisions on the spot for customers, myself, and my co-workers. We speak a lot to the customers, so at work I speak more politely to people than I would outside of work, but it's very casual like talking to your neighbor. Now, if I worked as a caterer at the Plaze Hotel, I'd probably be saying yes mam and no sir, and talk more formally.