ACR FLT CREW MISINTERPRETED ATC CLRNC. JOINED A RADIAL OF VOR WHEN CTLR EXPECTED THEM TO REMAIN ON A VECTOR HDG. NO TFC CONFLICT.

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RECEIVED ATC CLRNC AS FOLLOWS 'ATC CLEARS ACR X TO THE DFW ARPT BOIDS 9; WILL ROGERS TRANSITION; MAINTAIN 5000 EXPECTED FL270 TEN MIN AFTER TURN RT HDG 200 DEG AFTER TKOF. WE TOOK OFF SOUTH RWY 17L. THE IRW VOR IS APPROX 1.8 MILES SOUTH OF 17R. THE WILL ROGERS TRANSITION IS THE 167 DEG R OF IRW VOR. COPLT TOOK OFF; TURNED R TO 200 DEG AND INTERCEPTED THE 167 DEG RADIAL; PROCEEDED OUTBOUND. WE WERE QUESTIONED AS TO WHETHER WE WERE FLYING 167 DEG R AND WE ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE WE WERE THEN TOLD WE WERE CLRED TO A 200 DEG HEADING. THE CTLR WAS INTERRUPTED BY ANOTHER CTLR WHO STATED THIS WAS TFC FLOW CTL PROCEDURE; WE HAD NO CONFLICT; CONTINUE ON THE 167 DEG AND SAID 'THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY.' LOOKING BACK ON IT; OUR CLRNC WAS A 200 DEG HEADING; HOWEVER THIS DIDN'T REGISTER ON EITHER OF US AT THE TIME: IF THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY THEN THERE ARE MORE THAN JUST US THAT THIS DOESN'T REGISTER ON AND THE CLRNC LANGUAGE SHOULD BE REVISED. SUGGEST 'CLRED DFW VIA BOIDS 9; TURN RT HDG 200 DEG AFTER TKOF RADAR VECTORS VELMA INTERSECTION ( FIRST FIX PAST IRW ON TRANSITION)' OR VECTORS TO ANY OTHER DEFINITE FIX.