A DEP LGT SUFFERS A HEADING DEV WHEN THE FO MISUNDERSTANDS THE HEADING GIVEN. THE CTLR; POSSIBLY A DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR; FAILS TO CATCH THE ERROR. ANOTHER CTLR; POSSIBLY A SUPVR DEP CTLR; STEPS IN AND CORRECTS THE SIT.

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HAVING DEPARTED TO THE N (HDG 354 DEGS) FROM DFW'S RWY 35L PASSING 5000 FT MSL WE WERE GIVEN A R TURN. (NORMALLY THE INITIAL TURN WOULD BE TOWARDS E; USUALLY 080 DEGS TO 110 DEGS.) BEING A SUNDAY EVENING WE WERE NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR 'TURN R TO 180 DEGS.' WE SET THE HEADING AND INITIATED THE TURN. (THE TFC WAS LIGHT A BIG TURN WOULD NOT BE UNUSUAL.) I WAS THE FO AND NOT FLYING SO I RESPONDED; '...R TURN 180 DEGS.' DEP DID NOT CORRECT THE HEADING SO WE ASSUMED THE READBACK WAS CORRECT. WHILE PASSING 8000 FT MSL; IN THE TURN; DEP SAID 'TURN R NOW 110 DEGS.' AT THIS POINT WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 120 DEGS SO I RESPONDED 'VERIFY L TURN TO 110 DEGS.' HE WAS (DEP) CONFUSED AT THIS POINT AND SAID SIMPLY 'HDG 110 DEGS.' THERE WAS NEVER A TFC CONFLICT AND WE QUICKLY ESTABLISHED THE 110 DEG HDG. THE NEXT VOICE WE HEARD WAS A NEW ONE (PERHAPS A SUPVR) AND HE GAVE US A R TURN TO S; 17000 FT CLB; AND A ZFW HDOF. THERE WAS NEVER A DISCUSSION WITH DEP AS TO THE CONFUSION; NOR AM I AWARE OF ANY CONFLICT (TCASII SHOWED NO PENDING TFC PROBS). IN RETROSPECT I THINK HE MAY HAVE WANTED US ON A HDG OF 080 DEGS VICE 180 DEGS. WE BELIEVE WE HEARD; AND READ BACK 180 DEGS FOR THAT IS THE HEADING WE SET. SINCE 180 DEGS WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIGGER TURN THAN USUAL ON A N DEP; PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE PHRASED MY READBACK AS A QUESTION INSTEAD OF A STATEMENT. THIS WOULD HAVE FORCED HIM TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HEADING.