General
as
What does as mean?
A distinctive New Zealand construction where 'as' follows an adjective to intensify it, with the comparison left unstated. 'Cheap as' means very cheap.
"That jacket was cheap as, only ten bucks."
Origin
New Zealand and Australian English colloquial intensifier, an incomplete comparative left hanging.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'as' mean at the end of a sentence?
It's a Kiwi intensifier meaning 'very' — 'cold as' means very cold, with the comparison deliberately left unfinished.
Where does the 'as' intensifier come from?
It comes from colloquial New Zealand and Australian English, an incomplete comparative construction left hanging.
How do you use 'as' as an intensifier?
Put it after an adjective — 'sweet as', 'cheap as', 'hard as' — to mean extremely that thing.
Is saying 'cheap as' grammatically correct?
It's non-standard grammar but perfectly normal in casual Kiwi and Aussie speech.
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