E145 FLC MISINTERP HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AND ASK FOR VECTORS AND CLARIFICATION TO RE-ESTABLISH CORRECT HOLDING.

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WE HAD FLOWN APPROX 5 MI PAST SACRI INTXN ON J75 ENRTE FROM EWR TO CLT. ZDC INFORMED US THAT CLT HAD JUST STOPPED TAKING ARRS AND THAT WE WOULD HOLD. HE ASKED IF SACRI WAS A FIX WE COULD HOLD AT; AND WE SAID YES. HIS HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO MAKE A R TURN BACK DIRECT TO SACRI AND HOLD W OF J75; R TURNS. BY THE TIME WE HAD STARTED TURNING AROUND DIRECT SACRI; WE WERE ON IT AND MY FO AND I WERE STILL TRYING TO DECIPHER THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. I MISINTERPRETED THE 'HOLD W OF J75' AND STARTED THE R TURNS AT SACRI FROM THE SW NOT THE NE. HE QUERIED ABOUT MY DIRECTION OF TURN AND I RESPONDED WITH 'R TURN.' WE REREAD THE INSTRUCTIONS AS WE UNDERSTOOD THEM. HE ASKED FOR A HARD R TURN TO STAY OUT OF PROTECTED AIRSPACE. I COMPLIED BY DISCONNECTING THE AUTOPLT AND PUTTING IN ABOUT 45 DEGS OF BANK TO THE SW. WE ASKED FOR A HDG UNTIL THE HOLD WAS EXPLAINED IN MORE DETAIL. I STILL THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF ROOM FOR MISINTERP; AS DID THE B777 THAT WAS GIVEN THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS AFTER US. THEY ALSO HAD TO QUESTION IT 3 OR 4 TIMES BEFORE IT WAS UNDERSTOOD. THE CTLR DID NOT SAY WHETHER ANY AIRSPACE WAS VIOLATED; SO THIS IS JUST A PRECAUTION.