B737-300 crew reported ATCT ground controller used 'slang' while giving ground taxi clrncs.

Attributes
ACN	517467
Time
Date	200107
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6050 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	517467
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : atl.tower

Narrative:

Landed on runway 8L at atl. We were cleared by tower to cross runway 8R and contact ground. Ground cleared us to taxi via 'dixie' to 'inner' to the terminal and we also received a subsequent clearance to taxi via the 'loop.' while dixie is a named taxiway on the chart, inner and loop are not. I had the luxury of a first officer who had recently made an entry to atl and was familiar. An international crew or a first time arrival might not find the localisms user friendly. These clrncs were issued continuously to other air crews. My first officer related a similar occurrence from a previous entry into atl. His captain was given similar taxi instructions. When he slowed his taxi to ensure he was going the correct way, he was chastised by the ground controller. Over the frequency the ground controller transmitted to another aircraft that was following air carrier xyz 'air carrier xyz doesn't know where he's going.' standard terminology and clrncs utilizing the depicted taxiway idents is a must in alleviating confusion while taxiing and possible runway incursions, especially at 'the world's busiest airport.' no incident in this report but the next guy may not be so lucky!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW REPORTED ATCT GND CTLR USED 'SLANG' WHILE GIVING GND TAXI CLRNCS.

Narrative: LANDED ON RWY 8L AT ATL. WE WERE CLRED BY TWR TO CROSS RWY 8R AND CONTACT GND. GND CLRED US TO TAXI VIA 'DIXIE' TO 'INNER' TO THE TERMINAL AND WE ALSO RECEIVED A SUBSEQUENT CLRNC TO TAXI VIA THE 'LOOP.' WHILE DIXIE IS A NAMED TXWY ON THE CHART, INNER AND LOOP ARE NOT. I HAD THE LUXURY OF A FO WHO HAD RECENTLY MADE AN ENTRY TO ATL AND WAS FAMILIAR. AN INTL CREW OR A FIRST TIME ARR MIGHT NOT FIND THE LOCALISMS USER FRIENDLY. THESE CLRNCS WERE ISSUED CONTINUOUSLY TO OTHER AIR CREWS. MY FO RELATED A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE FROM A PREVIOUS ENTRY INTO ATL. HIS CAPT WAS GIVEN SIMILAR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN HE SLOWED HIS TAXI TO ENSURE HE WAS GOING THE CORRECT WAY, HE WAS CHASTISED BY THE GND CTLR. OVER THE FREQ THE GND CTLR XMITTED TO ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS FOLLOWING ACR XYZ 'ACR XYZ DOESN'T KNOW WHERE HE'S GOING.' STANDARD TERMINOLOGY AND CLRNCS UTILIZING THE DEPICTED TXWY IDENTS IS A MUST IN ALLEVIATING CONFUSION WHILE TAXIING AND POSSIBLE RWY INCURSIONS, ESPECIALLY AT 'THE WORLD'S BUSIEST ARPT.' NO INCIDENT IN THIS RPT BUT THE NEXT GUY MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.