AN ACR MLG FLC WAS GIVEN A VECTOR HDG 'FOR' A VOR. ONCE THEY RECEIVED THE VOR SIGNAL THE FLC THEN WENT DIRECT. POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

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ACR FLT FROM LGA TO PIT. IN CRUISE; FL350; ZNY SAID 'TURN HDG 265 DEGS FOR BELAIR VOR.' WE TURNED TO 265 DEG HDG AND PICKED UP AIR 117.1 A COUPLE MINS LATER AND PROCEEDED DIRECT AIR. LATER; CTR ASKED US WHAT OUR HDG WAS AND WE SAID 275 DEG HDG DIRECT AIR. THEN CTR SAID; 'CALL SIGN; YOU WERE NOT CLRED DIRECT AIR.' WE SAID 'ROGER; WE'LL RETURN TO HDG 265 DEGS.' CTR SAID 'THAT WON'T BE GOOD ENOUGH; TURN L 210 DEGS.' WE TURNED L 210 DEGS AND WERE (2 MINS) LATER CLRED DIRECT AIR VOR. ONLY OTHER ACFT WE SAW ON TCASII WAS 15 NM BEHIND US AND 300 FT BELOW US. CTR DIDN'T MENTION ANY CONFLICT. I THINK THE PROB WAS A MISCOM. WHEN ATC SAID TURN 265 DEGS FOR BELAIR; THE WORDING MADE ME THINK WE WERE CLRED DIRECT AIR WHEN RECEIVING. CTR NEVER SAID 'EXPECT DIRECT IN XX MI;' BUT NEVER SAID 'CLRED DIRECT' EITHER. SO IT WAS MY MISUNDERSTANDING. I THINK THE USE OF THE WORD 'FOR' CAN ADD CONFUSION (IE; 'TURN HDG 265 DEGS 'FOR' BELAIR'). IT WOULD BE BETTER TO SAY 'TURN HDG 265 DEGS; EXPECT DIRECT BELAIR IN XX NM (OR MINS).' THAT WOULD CLARIFY THE SIT AND PREVENT MISUNDERSTANDING.