Eggcorn Forum

Substituting “contingency plant” for “contingency plan” seems like a typo or a verbal slip. But it occurs so frequently (dozens of unique instances on the web) that it may be a settled malapropism. See web examples below. If a malapropism, then perhaps an eggcorn-a “contingency plant” could be a plant (place where things are made) held in reserve, or it could be something planted (put, hidden) in case it was needed later.

A posting about avian flu: “The resurgence of disease occurred in February 2007 in backyard poultry, zoo and commercial poultry in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Abbottabad and Mansehra. As part of the international obligation, the occurrence was notified and the National Contingency Plant was activated to increase surveillance for the disease.”(http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showth … p?p=120043)

An annual company report: “The Company’s contingency plant consists of the Company working with its customers to follow up with those vendors who have failed to respond or who have not responded in a satisfactory manner, and to identify alternate vendors that will be Year 2000 compliant.”(http://sec.edgar-online.com/1999/03/31/ … tion11.asp)

Legal advice web site: “You may well be able to prevent this, but address it early and have a contingency plant.”(http://www.mddef.com/secure/Insurance.html)

“He stated that the staff has a contingency plant that if 40 inch line fails they can over run the 55 inch to supply the water.”(http://www.nelha.org/pdf/NELHA_BOD_Minu … ry2007.pdf)