Keister, pronounced KEES-ter, has a meaning of ''suitcase, satchel, handbag,'' with a frequent connotation of ''burglar's toolcase''; it is probably a borrowing, through Yiddish, of the German Kiste, ''chest.

Where does the term keister come from?

"buttocks," 1931, perhaps transferred from the same word in an underworld meaning "safe, strongbox" (1914), earlier "a burglar's toolkit that can be locked" (1881); probably from British dialect kist (northern form of chest (n.)) or its German cognate Kiste "chest, box." The connection of the word to the body part ...

When was keister first used?

Origin uncertain. Originally attested as a criminal cant word for "burglar's tool-box" in 1881. In the 20th century a clutch of criminal slang meanings are mentioned, including "safe, strongbox".