he autaia
1. pretty good, not too bad - an expression used to say that a person, or something a person has done, is good or quite good and perhaps better than expected.
Ko te tūnga atu o Te Wīremu kei runga hoki e pekerengi ana, whakatuma mai tētahi, whakatuma atu hoki tētahi, tūpeke mai tētahi, tūpeke atu tētahi. Nāwai rā, ka tū a Te Kopa ka kī, “E hika mā, he autaia te Pākehā nei.” Ko Ngāti Porou kei raro e roha ana ki te kata (TP 4/1907:2). / When Rev. Williams stood, he also leaped into the air, he returned each challenge and met every jump. Eventually, Te Kopa stood and said, “Good heavens, this Englishman isn’t half bad.” Ngāti Porou broke into a fit of laughter.
