A B727 CREW; ARRIVING MEM; MISINTERPED A CLRNC AND CONTINUED PAST THEIR ASSIGNED HOLDING FIX.

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WE WERE ACR X; APPROX 50 MI W OF MARVEL VOR; AND CLRED DIRECT TO MARVEL WHEN ZME CLRED US FOR HOLDING AT BARFF AS PUBLISHED; 20 NM LEGS; FL180 AND EFC OF XA50Z. AS WE NEARED THE INBOUND COURSE; ATC ISSUED; 'ACR X TURN L 090 DEGS; INTERCEPT THE ARR.' WE INTERCEPTED THE ARR AND CONTINUED INBOUND. WE FELT ATC NOW WANTED US TO FLY THE ARR INTO MEM AND WE DID SO. ATC EVEN GAVE US 2 DSCNTS FROM FL180 TO 16000 FT TO 14000 FT. ALL THIS WHILE WE CONTINUED ON THE ARR PASSING BARFF INTXN; PASSING MARVEL AND TURNING INBOUND TO MEM. WE DIDN'T FEEL THERE WAS A PROB OR THAT WE MID MISINTERPED A CLRNC BECAUSE ACFT AHEAD OF US HAD BEEN CLRED THE ARR AND THIS BEFORE THEIR EFC; SO WE CONTINUED. ABOUT 8 MI NE OF MARVEL; ATC CALLED US HINTING THAT WE HAD MISSED BARFF INTXN AND RECLRED US BACK DIRECT TO MARVEL AND CLRED FOR A NEW HOLD AT MARVEL VOR. I GUESS OUR QUESTIONING TONE JARRED ATC TO RETHINK WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. ATC LATER APOLOGIZED FOR THE MISCOM; WE DID THE SAME. WX WAS LOW; WE WERE DOWN TO ONE RWY OP; RECOVERING OVER 100 ACFT WITH SEVERAL IN A HOLDING STACK. HIGH TEMPO OPS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CTLR SAYING SOMETHING SHE PROBABLY DIDN'T INTEND TO SAY. ALSO; WE SHOULD MAKE SURE WITH A READBACK IN PLAIN ENGLISH WHAT THE CLRNC MEANS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 537514: NOT HAVING EQUIP ON BOARD TO GO DIRECT TO BARFF; WE ASKED FOR A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE INBOUND COURSE TO BARFF S OF THE FIX. THIS WAS GIVEN BY ATC AND WE COMPLIED.