they used to put TCP behind their ears
Of course the engineers used to try to get in on the act. At the dances, they used to put TCP behind their ears. By the time they were caught out, they might have made some headway, they might already have a foot in the door.

I'm completely lost, I don't understand this paragraph at all. There are a few major questions that I'd like to ask:

1 What does TCP stand for ? Transmission Control Protocol ? And I am guessing it might stand for The Cool People that of course is most unlikely to be correct i suppose ;)

2 Put behind their ears ?What does it mean ? I know women put perfume behind their ears, is it related to this ?

3 "By the time they were caught out", does it mean by the time they were found out ?

THANK YOU !

Context

"The girls were all mad for a doctor in those days. It gave you a great head start, being a medical student, you were never short of a date. And it wasn’t just the nurses, all the girls went mad for a medical student.

Of course the engineers used to try to get in on the act. At the dances, they used to put TCP behind their ears. By the time they were caught out, they might have made some headway, they might already have a foot in the door."

Question

they used to put TCP behind their ears
Of course the engineers used to try to get in on the act. At the dances, they used to put TCP behind their ears. By the time they were caught out, they might have made some headway, they might already have a foot in the door.

I'm completely lost, I don't understand this paragraph at all. There are a few major questions that I'd like to ask:

1 What does TCP stand for ? Transmission Control Protocol ? And I am guessing it might stand for The Cool People that of course is most unlikely  to be correct i suppose ;)

2 Put behind their ears ?What does it mean ?  I know women put perfume behind their ears, is it related to this ?

3 "By the time they were caught out", does it mean by the time they were found out ?

THANK YOU !

Context

"The girls were all mad for a doctor in those days. It gave you a great head start, being a medical student, you were never short of a date. And it wasn’t just the nurses, all the girls went mad for a medical student.

Of course the engineers used to try to get in on the act. At the dances, they used to put TCP behind their ears. By the time they were caught out, they might have made some headway, they might already have a foot in the door."

Answer

There is an aniseptic solution called TCP, used a lot in hospitals.  It has a distinctive smell.  Putting it behind your ear would make you smell like you just got out of an operating room - i.e. you might smell like a doctor.
'Caught out' means what you think it does - the engineers' trick was discovered.
They might already have a foot in the door = they had introduced themselves to the girl and at least made initial contact.

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