It all started innocuously as a dispute over who was to blame for banning two non-governmental organisations from attending an Afghan aid conference held in Tokyo in January.

ECONOMIST: More trouble at the foreign ministry

These began innocuously as a concern about floor mats that jammed the accelerator pedals of certain models and then escalated into full-scale recalls of its most popular cars, a temporary shutdown of sales and manufacturing, and government fines and legal actions.

FORBES: Are You Responsible for Your Company's Reputation?

Already in a relaxed mood, Torre jokingly said that Jeter was still holding a grudge against him for something that had innocuously occurred in a game at the turn of the 21st century.

FORBES: Fond Reflections On The Winter Meetings

The problem started innocuously enough: Caulerpa taxifolia, a type of red algae not native to the Mediterranean shore, was spotted off the shores of the grand Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

ECONOMIST: Small things often hold big secrets

Inside the mediocre lobby we staked out a position near the numbered boxes, innocuously pretending to screw up our change-of-address forms so that we had to start over again a dozen times.

NEWYORKER: The King of Sentences