Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus./N.Z.) a euph. for fuck-up n. (1); also attrib.

1993		G. Disher Deathdeal [ebook] You didn’t apologise for stuff-ups you hadn’t caused.
1999		Sydney Morn. Herald 26 July 26/1: In sport, as in politics [...] if there is a choice between the stuff-up theory and the conspiracy theory, take the stuff-up theory.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.
2005		P. Temple Broken Shore (2007) [ebook] A monumental stuff-up.
2009		P. Temple Truth 129: ‘But you won’t be taking too long?’ [...] ‘Not a second longer than it takes to avoid a stuff-up’.
2018		C. Hammer Scrublands [ebook] ‘I don’t know why The Age didn’t use them. Some stuff-up’.