Question on Common Usage

I have heard contractors, who received such awards, telling people that they received a five year contract. That said, a contract is a contract and a base year contract with four one-year option periods is a one year contract unless an option gets exercised to extend it.

A lot of people refer to them as 5 year contracts especially in informal conversation. You say, "is that a 5 year contract?" They may reply, "yeah, a base and four".

I sometimes wonder if anyone on this board has heard of Google. I Googled <"five year contract" options> and immediately got this:

LEXINGTON, Ky., June 22, 2012 /

PRNewswire / -- Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) has been awarded a five-year (one base year and four one-year options) contract valued at $21 million that will make it the sole provider of printing technology for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

It's quite common, though not correct.

Thanks all. Yes, I also also googled the phrase, but I was interested in the experience of people on the board. I agree that the term is incorrect. I am interested because a contracting officer referred to such a contract as a five year contract.