And to dig up something for earlier in this thread: holding short of the runway.
I'm slightly baffled as to where there is any ambiguity here.
As far as I'm concerned, every taxi instruction has its limit at whichever point/taxiway/etc is the last one mentioned.
i.e. "Taxi A, B and C" means taxi as far as the point where C becomes something else (which should be de-lineated by a mark on the ground or a sign - if there's ambiguity, just ask).
In the same fashion, any taxi instruction automatically is limited by a runway holding point unless specific crossing/lining up instructions are received. So in that sense the very instruction "hold short of the runway" is redundant as the default reaction is always to hold short. Now obviously it makes good sense to reinforce the hold short by verbalising it.
So far so easy. So why the big fuss about the holding point? It's very damn simple really. There are painted lines on the ground, either cat 1 or cat 2/3 and depending on conditions, you stop at the correct line and thus are holding short.