MD80 CREW INBOUND TO IAH VIA STAR GIVEN EXPEDITED CLRNC FOR DSCNT TO 10000 FT. DURING DSCNT; CTLR; IN A COMBINED XMISSION; MAY HAVE CHANGED ALT TO 11000 FT AND A SPD OF 250 KIAS.

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AS CAPT OF ACR X (SFO-IAH) ON OCT/XA/98 WE WERE ON THE CUGAR ARR TO IAH. IAH ATC HAD GIVEN US SEVERAL DELAY VECTORS PRIOR TO ISSUING A CLRNC TO CROSS THE HOAGIE FIX AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS. THIS CLRNC WAS GIVEN LATE REQUIRING A MAX POSSIBLE DSCNT RATE WITH SPD BRAKES; ETC. SEVERAL HDG CHANGES WERE ASSIGNED AND AN INSTRUCTION TO INTERCEPT THE 116.6 305 DEG RADIAL. THE CTLR WAS CONCERNED AND QUESTIONED US IF WE WERE 'GOING TO MAKE HOAGIE AT 10000 FT.' OUR REPLY WAS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. HE THEN REQUESTED WE RPT WHEN REACHING 250 KTS. WE ACKNOWLEDGED. UPON REACHING 10000 FT ABOUT 42 NM; THE CTLR ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS. WE REPLIED 10000 FT. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID 'YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 11000 FT; CLB TO 11000 FT.' WE THEN CLBED IMMEDIATELY TO 11000 FT. THE CTLR HAD EARLIER REQUESTED THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CLRNC; WHICH WE DID WITH A 'ROGER' TO WHICH WE BELIEVED TO BE 'RPT WHEN REACHING 250 KTS.' WE DID NOT HEAR AN ALT ASSIGNMENT OF 11000 FT IN THE COCKPIT. OUR BELIEF WAS WE WERE ASSIGNED 'HOAGIE' FIX AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS. IF THE CTLR GAVE US AN INTERIM OR SUBSEQUENT ALT ASSIGNMENT OF 11000 FT; WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND IT. POSSIBLY COCKPIT NOISE PLUS READING CHKLISTS INTERFERED WITH THAT XMISSION. THE CTLR BELIEVES WE ACKNOWLEDGED HIS INSTRUCTION WITH A 'ROGER.' IF THIS IS THE CASE; IT WAS FOR THE 'RPT WHEN REACHING 250 KTS.' VOICE COM IN A HIGH DENSITY ENVIRONMENT IN TODAY'S AVIATION ARENA CAN LEAD TO MANY MISREAD AND MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNCS. WE MUST ALL BE DILIGENT TO BE CLRLY UNDERSTOOD AND CERTAIN OF CLRNCS AND TO COMPLY. I BELIEVE WE MUST TRY TO AVOID 'SLAM DUNK' APCHS BY CTLRS. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT ANY SPECIFIC ALT INSTRUCTION BE READ BACK COMPLETELY AND WITH COMPLETE CALL SIGNS. ALSO; MULTIPLE INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD BE AVOIDED BY CTLRS -- IE HDG; ALT; SPD; FOLLOWED BY A FREQ CHANGE.