Kiwi Word of the Week

I'd like to have a feature introducing a new Kiwi slang word each week. But before I get too ambitious I should probably caution that this may not happen every week. New Zealand is an exciting place and there are certainly plenty of things to do that don't involve documenting slang. However, since my love of learning regional English slang is partially responsible for cultivating my interest in New Zealand, I will try my best. With that introduction, this week's word is:

"sweet as!"

I have come to regard this as the quintessential New Zealand phrase - the Kiwi equivalent of the American South's "ya'll". For one, it seems to be distinctly Kiwi unlike much of their other slang which New Zealanders share with Australia and Britain. And because I hear it all the time. It seems to primarily be used by the young folks, but not exclusively. An appropriate American equivalent is probably "cool". It's a polite way of acknowledging that something is good. Unofficial sources state the phrase is a shortening of an earlier saying "sweet as pie".
The first time it was spoken to me was when my RA let me into my room.
"How was your trip?"
-Good
"Sweet as!"
... or something along those lines. I already knew that term and I'm glad I did because I might have been confused otherwise. To my American ears, it sounds just like "sweet ass" which would have been confusing on context. Apparently this is a fairly common misunderstanding among American visitors.
The phrase itself does a fairly good job of embodying the characteristics of it's speakers: it's friendly, enthusiastic and informal. This is perhaps why "Kiwi As" is the name of a very popular snack food brand.

Flavoring potato chips with ketchup and mince meat also seems to be endemic to New Zealand

It's also the name of a documentary I saw the beginning of during the orientation for international students. I quite enjoyed it and thanks to my thoughtfulness you can enjoy the first five minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phQkcQLilH8
Variations:

• mean as
• good as