LGT CREW DISPUTES AND OR MISUNDERSTANDS ALT CLRNC OTHER THAN DEPICTED ON THE ARR INTO LAX.

Narrative

FO FLYING PDZ 3 ARR. E OF TRTLE; ATC CLRS US TO 16000 FT. AT SOME POINT LATER; ATC INSTRUCTS US TO FLY THE ARR. XING TRTLE FO BEGINS TO FLY THE DSCNT PROFILE AS DEPICTED IN THE ARR. PASSING 13000 FT FOR 12000 FT; ATC SAYS; 'SAY ALT' TO OUR FLT. THE RESPONSE IS 'THROUGH FOR 12;000 FT.' HE SAYS; ' DIDN'T YOU GET THE MAINTAIN 16000 FT?' NEITHER THE COPLT NOR I EVER HEARD 'MAINTAIN' AND MY RESPONSE WAS EXACTLY THAT TO THE CTLR. 'WE NEVER HEARD MAINTAIN SIR.' THERE HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN A MISCOM OR INTERP BY US OF THE CLRNC. HERE IS AN ARR WITH NUMEROUS STEPDOWNS. IF THE WORD 'MAINTAIN' HAD BEEN USED; I FEEL CERTAIN THAT IS WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE. SO THE QUESTION BECOMES WHEN TOLD TO 'FLY THE ARR' DOES THAT MEAN THE COURSE TO INCLUDE STEPDOWNS? A CLRNC OF 'DSND VIA THE ARR' WOULD BE MORE INFORMATIONAL. EXAMPLE: COAST 2 ARR HOUSTON MAKES IT VERY CLR WHEN YOU MAY DSND; WHEN YOU MAY NOT. I SUGGEST SIMILAR NOTES BE PUBLISHED ON THE PDZ 3 INTO LAX OR ANY OTHER ARR THAT IS COMPLEX WITH NUMEROUS STEPDOWNS. FROM NOW ON; I WILL SURELY ASK FOR CLARIFICATION ON THE DSCNT PORTION OF AN ARR IF I DO NOT SPECIFICALLY HEAR 'DSND VIA THE XXX ARR.'