Transcription can be something of a minefield. Fail to check the finished text, or rely on autocheck, and you could have a document that makes no sense. All the transcriptions Language Insight produces undergo thorough proofread to ensure they meet the quality our clients expect from us.

However, there are some cases where a typo has not only been funny, but also extremely expensive. This week, Jennifer M Wood at Mental Floss put together a list of ten typos that proved very costly. Inspired by her article, we have picked some of our favourites from her list, plus a few more to share with you.

5) “Thou shalt commit adultery”

Much of the Ten Commandments handed down to Moses on the Mountain of Sinai reads like a list of what not to do; “thou shalt not steal”, “thou shalt not kill”. However, a 1631 reprint of the King James Bible is sure to have raised more than a few eyebrows when it informed Christians: “Thou shalt commit adultery.”

As a result of the error, the edition earned the name ‘the Wicked Bible’. The publishers, Baker Book House, were fined a substantial sum of money and had their printing license revoked.

4) We’re all going on a raunchy holiday

Another blunder uncovered by Ms Wood is that of the travel agency keen to promote its expertise in exotic holidays. Unfortunately, its Yellow Pages’ ad listed it as a specialist in “erotic” destinations by mistake.

Yellow Pages offered to provide the company with a month’s free listing, but by that time the travel agency owner said many of her elderly clientele had been frightened off. Not only that, but she was also receiving obscene phone calls and somewhere the caller just breathed heavily down the phone. In the end, she initiated a $10 million lawsuit against Yellow Pages.

3) Erotic tales from the bathroom

In this case, something that was meant to be erotic became decidedly less so as a result of a typo. Susan Andersen is one of America’s most-loved romance authors, who has been writing novels since 1989. If you want to get lost in a work of romantic and funny fiction, Andersen is the name you seek out at the bookshop.

However, one of her books painted a less than a romantic picture of its leading man, thanks to a typo. When Avon began to offer an e-version of the book, Andersen herself decided to download a copy and revisit the novel she had penned some years before. However, her enjoyment was halted when she read the line:

“He stiffened for a moment but then she felt his muscles loosen as he sh**ted on the bathroom floor.”

Of course, the line was meant to read “shifted on the bathroom floor” as the author quickly went about informing her fans through her Facebook site and newsletter. It wasn’t all bad news though, as Andersen explains on her website:

“I had, like, a bazillion responses in which the poster said she/he had been having a perfectly awful day … until they read that stupid typo. And it’s true, you can’t help but laugh because talk about a perfect storm of the wrong word!”

2) Macy’s massive giveaway

At the end of last month. Macy’s appeared to outdo itself when it came to slashing prices. The department store chain was offering a not-to-be-missed discount on one of its items of jewellery and, just as it had hoped, customers were soon taking full advantage.

The 14-karat gold and sterling silver necklace was dotted with diamonds and usually retailed for $1,500 (£974.76). In order to attract customers, the store reduced the price to $479. Unfortunately, a typo in its catalogue listed it as available for just $47.

Unsurprisingly, customers were soon piling into Macy’s stores to snap up the bargain. According to Dallas resident Robert Bernard, speaking to WFAA.com, the man in line in front of him at Collin Creek Mall in Texas bought all the necklaces the store had left. Mr Bernard wanted to treat his wife to the piece of bling and so ordered two, which he was told would be shipped to his home.

However, as soon as Macy’s realised the error, Mr Bernard and others like him were contacted and told they would not be receiving the necklaces but would get a refund. The lucky few who managed to get their hands on some in store really did walk out with a steal.

1) A recipe for racism

There are few things more innocent than cooking (unless you happen to know Hannibal Lecter). It’s a pastime that spans ages, cultures and languages, and makes the world feel smaller as people fall in love with dishes from around the globe.

So, it would be hard for a pasta recipe book to wind up in hot water over a typo, wouldn’t it? Well actually, this is exactly what happened to the Pasta Bible in 2010.

The Penguin Australia publication featured a recipe for tagliatelle that told chefs to add “salt and freshly ground black people”. Clearly, ‘pepper’ would be the preferred option here. Penguin Australia was forced to reprint 7,000 copies and send the offending stock to be pulped. Head of publishing, Bob Sessions, revealed this would cost AUD $20,000 (£13,732.36). However, he was keen not to place the blame on his proof-readers, telling the Sydney Morning Herald: “When it comes to the proof-reader, of course, they should have picked it up, but proofreading a cookbook is an extremely difficult task. I find that quite forgivable.”

Obviously, times have changed since the publication of ‘The Wicked Bible’.

If you’ve spotted any embarrassing typos, share them with us below.