Pros from Dover

[Laurence Horn]

At 7:53 PM -0500 7/22/02, Paul M. Johnson wrote:
>Since Dover Del. is the state capitol, is there a Med. school there, or were

hmmm.
FWIW...   [there are other google sites on "Pros from Dover"--311
hits on it, using the quotes--but none I've looked at really explains
it or traces it back before the mention on M*A*S*H.  Nor do any of
those below.  The jury is still out.]
-larry
==========
http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/1309.html ["The
Phrase Finder"]
Posted by Bill Rodgers on August 25, 2000 at 18:49:04:

                           In Reply to: Re: Prose from Dover? posted
by Tom on August 18, 2000 at 05:09:28:

                           : : : : ....Pros from Dover

                           : : : : Was this phrase in existence before
Elliott Gould said it on M*A*S*H* ? If so, an someone help with it's
                           origin and meaning?

                           : : : I found a site that claims the phrase
is really "prose from dover"!
                           : : : Here is a paste from the site:

                           : : : "I think the word may be pronounced
"proa". This is another name for a small ship and derives from the
                           malay word "prau". It does not need much
imagination to see how a word such as this could be distorted to
                           "prose". As you know, Britain had an
interest in this area in the past and many words which make little
sense
                           are still used today."

                           : : : Hmmmm...!

                           : : : prau
                           : : : any of various Indonesian boats
usually without a deck that are propelled especially by sails or
paddles

                           : : This same phrase came up before. But I
can't remember what was said. I don't think anyone had an
                           answer. I always thought it had something
to do with the White Cliffs of Dover during World War II.

                           : From the script context below, one would
think it means ~ experts.

                           : I'm the pro from Dover and this
                           : is my favorite caddie.

                           :
                           : Look, Mother. I want to go to
                           : work in one hour. We're the pros
                           : from Dover and we figure to crack
                           : that kid's chest and get out to
                           : the golf course before it's dark.

                           : He's the pro from Dover and I'm
                           : the Ghost of Smokey Joe.

                           : Don't give them any unnecessary
                           : details. Just say the pros from
                           : Dover are on their way with an
                           : emergency.

                           In the UK Prostitutes are knows as Pros.
Hence Pros from Dover may originate from this fact, Dover is a port
                           and where there were sailors there did you
also find Pros - lots of pros.
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