I second AD's request for an example; I actually misread that paragraph the first time, but I think my misreading had some truth to it as well:

I'd thought you said that high-status people have less of a need to make themselves understood, i.e. they don't need to explain themselves to people who are lower status than they are. When they do choose to, it's with a tone of exasperation or condescension.

Which is one one of the reasons I don't take status signalling too seriously, at least in that situation. Communicating clearly and respectfully is really important to me--both on an emotional level (I feel strongly about it) and a practical one (people need to do it all the time and you're kidding yourself if you think it won't help you to be good at it). Someone who acts like it's beneath them to communicate respectfully to a given person is signalling high status, but demonstrating being some combination of "jerk" and "dumb about people," and the latter impression wins out.

The opposite of this is an old friend of mine who somehow developed the rare ability to, in an argument invoking tech cred and lots of status negotiation, stop and say "Oh, I haven't heard of X, what's X?" because someone made a point he didn't follow. It's hugely low-status, but it's the really productive thing to do, and he learned a lot that way. Based on what else I know about the friend, I highly doubt this is a conscious choice he made--I think he just naturally doesn't give a fuck about status. i respect that a lot and am trying to make a habit of doing the same thing (swallow pride and ask when I don't know something).

I like subverting status (showing respect even where it's "beneath" me and admitting ignorance). That's probably some kind of meta-status play, though. :)