On Tue, 2 Feb 2016, Stefan Monnier wrote:
For xterm, you set this config the way Don Armstrong showed: XTerm*metaSendsEscape: true in your ~/.Xdefaults or ~/.Xresources.
Bingo. That did it. I could not for money or love recall either of those two filenames you so graciously cited. Thanks everyone who chimed in, and a tip 'o the hat to Don!
-- Bob Bernstein