AN ACR CARGO FLT TAXIES TO RWY 27 VIA THEIR 'NORMAL' ROUTING BUT IS CHALLENGED AT THE RWY END BY GND CTLR WHO THOUGHT HE HAD ISSUED A HOLD SHORT AT ANOTHER POINT ON THE RWY AT MEM; TN.

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WHILE HOLDING SHORT AND AWAITING CLRNC FOR TKOF; TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT GND CTL FOR AN 'IMPORTANT MESSAGE.' GND CTLR ASKED FROM WHAT EXIT POINT WE HAD DEPARTED OUR RAMP AND ENTERED TXWY V ON WHICH WE WERE HOLDING. CTLR STATED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27 (THE TKOF RWY) AT TXWY C.' WE HAD TAXIED FROM THE RAMP EXIT POINT ON TXWY V; ON WHICH WE WERE HOLDING SHORT FOR TKOF AND WHICH IS THE NORMAL TAXI RTE FROM THAT EXIT POINT TO RWY 27. CTLR STATED THAT HE THOUGHT WE HAD DEPARTED THE RAMP FROM A DIFFERENT EXIT POINT (WHICH; IF SO; WOULD HAVE MADE CLRNC VIA TXWY C CREDIBLE). THE CTLR'S TONE WAS STILL SOMEWHAT ACCUSATIVE; AND I FELT THAT A POINT WAS BEING MADE WHEN TWR CLRED OTHER ACFT FOR TKOF BEFORE US; THOUGH WE APPEARED TO BE #1 IN SEQUENCE. IN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION AMONG THE CREW; CAPT (THIS WRITER) STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD HEARD 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27 ON TXWY V.' FO STATED THAT HE DIDN'T RECALL WHAT HE HEARD; AND SO STATED THAT HE HEARD 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27 ON TXWY C.' I THINK THAT THE ACTUAL SIT WAS AS FOLLOWS: 1) THE GND CTLR MISTOOK OUR STATED RAMP EXIT POINT AND ISSUED AN INAPPROPRIATE TAXI ROUTING; 2) THE CAPT HEARD WHAT HE THOUGHT HE SHOULD/WOULD HEAR AND NOT THE ACTUAL CLRNC; 3) THE FO DID NOT READ BACK THE CLRNC AND WAS NOT PAYING ATTN; 4) THE SO DID NOT SPEAK UP WHEN HE OBSERVED THE CAPT NOT TAXIING VIA THE CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 479267: WE HAD TAXIED OUT TO HOLD SHORT ON THE NORMAL RTE -- THE ONE WE ARE GIVEN 95% OF THE TIME; AND THE ONLY ONE WHICH MAKES SENSE FOR THE RTE. I FEEL THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS IS LACK OF PROPER READBACK BY THE CREW (I HAD THE RADIOS) AND ALSO BY THE FACT THAT THE FREQ IS VERY BUSY AND HARD TO ASK QUESTIONS; ETC.