I am amazed actually at how many different definitions of 'pioneer' there are on Dictionary.com! To support my argument, let's look at them:
1.a person who is among those who first enter or settle a region, thus opening it for occupation and development by others.
Definately not a 222 then.
2.one who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress:
pioneers in cancer research.
Hull Trains as a company, maybe. Not a 222 though.
3.
one of a group of foot soldiers detailed to make roads, dig intrenchments, etc., in advance of the main body.
Definately not.
4.
Ecology. an organism that successfully establishes itself in a barren area, thus starting an ecological cycle of life.
Nope.
5.(
initial capital letter
)
Aerospace. one of a series of U.S. space probes that explored the solar system and transmitted scientific information to earth.
Nope.
6.(
initial capital letter
) (formerly) a member of a Communist organization in the Soviet Union for children ranging in age from 10 to 16. Compare
Komsomol,
Octobrist.
Nope.
verb (used without object)
7.to act as a pioneer
No way.
verb (used with object)
8.to be the first to open or prepare (a way, settlement, etc.).
Again, Hull Trains as a company, maybe. A 222? Nope.
9.to take part in the beginnings of; initiate:
to pioneer an aid program.
Closest for the 222 so far.
10.to lead the way for (a group); guide.
Nah.
adjective
11.being the earliest, original, first of a particular kind, etc.:
a pioneer method of adult education.
Nope.
12.of, pertaining to, or characteristic of pioneers:
pioneer justice.
Nah.
13.being a pioneer:
a pioneer fur trader.
Nope.
So, the closest definition is number 9. No-one can call Hull Trains' operations 'beginnings of' anything either. So, really, going by all of the above, how could you call the 222/1s 'Pioneers'? The definition of the word, the actual word, is what I was arguing over.
IF the 222/1s had been built in Hull, then calling them Pioneers (since I now know Hull is sometimes referred to as 'The Pioneering City') would have made some sense. But the fleet does not come from the city originally, therefore you can not really use that background as logic for the name of the fleet.
Sticking to calling the things 'Meridians' would have been more sensible IMO.
As for that song reaching number 5, it just shows how poor a state this country's overall musicial taste is.
I've been trying to think of one all day!
hock:
