> Thank you, Rick for both fact and ideas, which I find intriguing.

Thank you Marcia. I'm hoping to get more written and posted on
Gerontion soon. I've needed time to study it and start collecting
ideas.

> I do wonder why you mention NH: as an example among many that have
> an X Knob or as something to do with the poem?

I've hiked the White Mountains in New Hampshire for many years and
was pretty certain that I've seen the description there but I couldn't
think of one example. I've since Googled and there are X Knobs there
and in West Virginia too. I was thinking that this may have been the
source of the term for TSE. In 4Q he used a (mainly?) obsolete term
from New England for the pounding of the surf and I thought that
KNOB may have been another word of this sort. He may not have known
that it might have been regional and thus caused a lot of confusion.

Anyone know of another usage outside of the Appalachians?

Regards,
   Rick Parker

P.S. and OT: The site of the Appalachian Mountain Club:
   http://www.outdoors.org