P50 CTLR CHALLENGES C210 PLT WHEN PLT TURNS ON COURSE ON V16.

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WAS GIVEN AN IFR CLRNC TO LGB WHICH STATED 'FLY RWY HDG; VECTORS FOR VICTOR 16; THERMAL; THEN AS FILED.' IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF; TWR INSTRUCTED 'TURN L HDG XXX.' A FEW SECONDS LATER; TWR SAID 'TURN L HDG YYY; VECTORS FOR VICTOR 16' (I BELIEVE IT WAS VICTOR 16; DUE W; I DON'T HAVE MY CHARTS WITH ME AT THE MOMENT); 'CONTACT DEP ON XXX.XX.' WHILE CHANGING TO DEP FREQ; I NOTICED I WAS INTERCEPTING VICTOR 16. I RADIOED 'DEP CTL; CENTURION X IS WITH YOU AT 3000 FT; TURNING ONTO V16.' THE DEP CTLR BLEW UP AT ME: 'YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO FLY A HDG (I THINK IT WAS 190 OR 210 DEGS).' I REPLIED 'I WAS GIVEN VECTORS FOR VICTOR 16 AND I WAS NOW INTERCEPTING BUT WOULD BE GLAD TO CONTINUE ON THE PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED HDG.' HE THEN CHKED BACK WITH THE TWR WHO ASSIGNED THE CLRNC AND CALLED ME BACK TO SAY 'YOU WERE INSTRUCTED TO FLY HDG 210 DEGS VECTORS FOR V16; NOT VECTORS TO INTERCEPT V16.' THE FAA WILL PROBABLY SAY I WAS WRONG. BUT HERE'S MY POINT: WHY WOULD ANY CTLR CHOOSE TO GIVE AMBIGUOUS OR EASILY MISUNDERSTOOD INSTRUCTIONS? IF MY CLRNC HAD BEEN 'TURN L HDG 210 DEGS' THAT IS CLR; UNAMBIGUOUS; EASILY UNDERSTOOD; AND DOESN'T CREATE ANY IMPROPER EXPECTATIONS. IT ALSO SETS UP THE EXPECTATION OF ANOTHER VECTOR. WHEREAS; 'TURN L TO 210 DEGS VECTORS FOR V16' SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE 'VECTOR TO INTERCEPT V16.' I DON'T NEED TO KNOW THE EVENTUAL DEST OF THE VECTOR. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT; AND I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT HE WAS TELLING ME.