"skell"

[Barnhart]

jkossuth at MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM,Net writes:
>I've read some suggestions that it might be a shortened form of
>"skeleton," but I've been unable to find anything certain.

The Barnhart New-Words Concordance identifies entries in

Barnhart Dictionary Companion (Vol. 2.3: 1982)
Third Barnhart Dictionary of New English (c. 1990)

Oxford English Dictionary -- additions series (vol. 1, c. 1993)
Oxford Dictionary of New Words (c. 1997)

They all suggest that it is probably a shortened and altered form of
skeleton.

Regards,
David

barnhart at highlands.com