ACR QUESTIONS THEMSELVES ABOUT ODD INCOMPLETE TAXI CLRNC FROM SFO GND CTLR; BUT OBTAINS NO CLARIFICATION FROM GND CTLR AND TAXIES ACROSS RWYS 1 BEFORE CHALLENGED BY GND CTLR.

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QUESTIONABLE VERBIAGE IN TAXI CLRNC. ATIS INFO STATED RWYS 28L/R DEPS; WINDS 250 DEGS/20 KTS GUSTING TO 26 KTS; LLWS. RAMP TWR CTLING GATE AREAS CLRED US TO SPOT X (TXWY M). CHKED IN WITH SFO GND 'ACR X; SPOT X; WITH ATIS INFO IDENTIFIER.' GND ACKNOWLEDGED 'TAXI TO RWY 28 VIA TXWY M; CONTACT TWR.' DISCUSSION IN OUR COCKPIT INDICATED WE KNEW WHAT HE INTENDED DESPITE THE ODD CLRNC; SINCE IT DIDN'T INCLUDE SUBSEQUENT TXWYS L AND F TO GET TO RWYS 28L/R. WE CROSSED RWYS 1L/R VIA TXWY M AND TURNED UP TXWY L. TWR QUERIED US; 'ARE YOU TAXIING TO RWYS 28L/R.' WE REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' TWR STATED THE TXWYS L AND F ROUTING TO RWY 28L. WE REPLIED 'ROGER.' HOLDING SHORT; WE CHKED THE NOW NEW ATIS AT THE TOP OF HR WHICH ADDED RWYS 1L/R FOR DEPS WITH A LIGHTER WIND STATE. WE OBSERVED A RWY 1 DEP WHILE CONTINUING TO HOLD FOR ARRS ON RWYS 28. SPOT X IS ADJACENT TO THE TXWY AND HOLD SHORT AREAS FOR RWYS 1L/R. WE SAW NO ACFT TAXIING TO RWYS 1L OR 1R WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM RAMP TWR 127.52 TO SFO GND 121.8 AT SPOT X. WE HEARD NO CLRNC TO RWY 1L OR RWY 1R FOR ANY ACFT INCLUDING OUR OWN. IF ANY TALK AMONG THE CTLRS OCCURRED REGARDING SWITCHING TO RWYS 1L/1R FOR DEPS; IT DID NOT OCCUR WHILE WE WERE ON GND FREQ PRIOR TO RECEIVING OUR CLRNC AFTER CHK IN. ATIS IDENTIFIER GIVEN BY US AT CHK IN ON FREQ INDICATED THAT WE WOULD EXPECT CLRNC TO RWY 28 AS GIVEN. LESSON LEARNED; DON'T ASSUME WE KNOW WHAT A CTLR'S CLRNC MEANS IF IT IS INCOMPLETE. QUERY THEM. WE'RE NOT SURE GND AND TWR WERE IN SYNC.