(April 23, 2015 at 12:55 pm)Alex K Wrote: There are certain amusing holes in my knowledge of the language that would give it away though, such as vocabulary pertaining to activities which I rarely encounter. Names for some household appliances or tools for example.
The thing is, native speakers often do not know the right words for objects pertaining to activities which they do not normally encounter. For example, probably most native speakers of English could not give the proper names for all of the implements used by people who climb cliffs.
Now, a name for common household appliances and common tools could expose something odd about you; if, for example, you did not know the words "toaster," "refrigerator," "stove," "oven," "hammer," "screwdriver," "wrench," "pliers," "drill," or "saw," it would seem strange. But an unusual appliance or tool would not expose you as not being a native speaker.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.