EMB120 CAPT STARTED DSNDING TO MEET XING RESTR WHICH WAS ONLY EXPECTED RATHER THAN CLRED.

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FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. E120; OKC-DFW; CRUISE ALT 14000 FT MSL; 36 MI N OF BOWIE VOR (UKW). I (THE FO) WAS FLYING. THE CAPT WAS PNF AND WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. EARLIER; ABOUT 80+ MI N OF BOWIE; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO 15000 FT. DURING THE CLB; NEW INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED TO CLB TO 15000 FT; OR 14000 FT IF WE WANTED. I HEARD TO CROSS BOWIE AT 14000 FT. I TOLD THE CAPT TO REQUEST 14000 FT AS A FINAL. HE DID AND WE LEVELED OFF. THEN CAPT TOLD ME TO EXPECT TO CROSS 30 MI N OF BOWIE AT 11000 FT. HOWEVER; HE TOLD ME IT SOUNDED TO ME AS THOUGH THIS IS PART OF WHAT HE THOUGHT HE HEARD IN THE ATC INSTRUCTIONS. I NEVER HEARD ATC GIVE THOSE INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPECT ANY CROSS EXCEPT 14000 FT AT BOWIE. WE DO; HOWEVER; ALMOST ALWAYS GET INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS BOWIE AT 11000 FT. SO WHEN I HEARD 14000 FT AT BOWIE; IT STUCK OUT AND I THOUGHT 'GOOD; WE CAN CLB TO 14000 FT AND NOT WORRY ABOUT REMEMBERING ANY XING RESTRS.' IN OTHER WORDS; I FELT CONFIDENT THAT WHAT I HEARD AND REMEMBERED IS CORRECT. I WAS VERY CLOSE; HOWEVER; TO VERIFYING WITH ATC ABOUT THE EXPECT 11000 FT THAT CAPT BROUGHT UP. BUT; SINCE HE WAS THE PLT ASSIGNED TO WORK THE RADIOS; AND HE SAID 'EXPECT;' WHICH SHOULD ONLY BECOME A REAL ISSUE IF THE RADIOS QUIT; (SINCE 'EXPECT' IN ITSELF DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A CLRNC UNLESS RADIO COMS ARE LOST) I DECIDED TO LET IT GO AND NOT STOP ON HIS TOES. 36 MI N OF BOWIE THOUGH; CAPT GOES 'START DOWN NOW.' WHEN I HESITATED; HE PUT THE AUTOPLT ON HIS SIDE AND STARTED US DOWN. I SPOKE UP AND SAID 'YOU SAID 'EXPECT.'' BY THEN; WE WERE 400 FT BELOW ASSIGNED ALT. HE REALIZED THE PROB AND HE TOLD ATC WE WERE INSTRUCTED 11000 FT PREVIOUSLY; 35 MI N OF BOWIE. THE CTLR QUICKLY SAID 'NEGATIVE' AND CAPT KICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT ABOUT 700 FT BELOW ALT AND BEGAN CLBING. APOLOGIZING; HE TOLD ME 'SORRY; YOUR CTLS.' 30 SECONDS LATER; THE NEXT CTLR ASSIGNED 7000 FT AND I STARTED US DOWN. ON THE GND; 2 THINGS WERE RESOLVED: I SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP EARLY ON ABOUT THE 'EXPECT' ALT IN QUESTION; AND HE SHOULD HAVE ASKED ATC BEFORE RUSHING US DOWN. I TOLD HIM; IN THE FUTURE; I THINK IT WOULD BE A BETTER IDEA TO HOLD THE ALT AND TELL ATC THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE AN ALT IF TRULY IT WAS ASSIGNED; AS HE THOUGHT; AND LET ATC FIGURE THE BETTER COURSE OF ACTION.