Green’s Dictionary of Slang

stilts n.

1. (US black) the human legs.

1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 270: If his long stilts, amidst the jumble, / Don’t slip, and let the patriot tumble.
c.1800		‘The Ploughman’ in Burns Merry Muses of Caledonia (1965) 146: But when he was between the stilts, / I thought I was in heaven, jo!
1850		F.E. Smedley Frank Fairlegh (1878) 228: For heaven’s sake, my dear boy, get off your stilts, and give common sense fair play.
1922		Edwardsville Intelligencer (IL) 14 Sept. 4/4: The Flappers’ Dictionary [...] Stilts: Legs.
c.1940–5		‘Myles na gCopaleen’ Best of Myles (1968) 380: He is temporarily a little bit of Ireland walking about on two rather ungainly pink stilts.
1943		W. Winchell On Broadway 4 Nov. [synd. col.] The ringsiders giving the unanimous nod to her shapely stilts.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).

2. crutches.

1927		‘Jargon of the Und.’ in DN V 464: stilts, Crutches.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 820: stilts – Crutches.

In compounds

stilt-bags (n.)

(US) trousers.

1914

Tacoma Times (WA) 16 Mar. 4/3: It’s time to hit the fodder and if you eat enough you can grow into those stilt-bags!