Skeleton

[domtreff]

stand for people without one. m-l-e-e (or could be l-e)

something encouraging for Don. g-s-t-t (also could be s-t)

[novalis]

First one is mean ( men round a )

[gen2]

except that it is 7 letters novalis

[novalis]

Good point gen2. Suggestion also from domtreff that it could also be 3 letters.
Unfortunately neither the 7 nor the three letter pattern suggests an obvious answer so I did a bit of thinking outside the box as it's the Skeleton crossword.

[gen2]

I think we have both interpreted domtreff'spost in different ways. You have taken it to be 7 or 3 letters and I took it to mean that there was some doubt about the first E and the word could end l-e instead of e-e.

I haven't seen a 'Skeleton' crossword since the 1960s when I used to treat it as a logic puzzle and complete the grid, then my father would do the cryptic solutions.

[puzzlesRus]

Sorry Domtreff but you appear to have created the grid incorrectly

[johnalex]

2. Prod (something encouraging)
. . . . Pro = for, d = don