'Kwikies' Spark Controversy

The proposed new name for a Maine lottery ticket has retailers scratching their heads.

March 20, 2013

FAIRFIELD, Maine -- Asking for a "Kwikie" will likely get your face slapped in most convenience stores, but the Maine State Lottery wants to put that appellation on its newest scratch off ticket, the Bangor Daily News reports. The lottery sent notice to retailers that the new tickets will be called "Kwikies," pronounced the same as the slang for a quick sexual encounter.

"I thought that??s going to be real uncomfortable for my girls behind the register to have guys come in and say 'Hey, give me a Kwikie,??" said David Welch, owner of Village Market. "[My cashiers] are very upset about it. A couple of customers hanging around were really upset."

Gerry Reid, director of the Maine Bureau Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations, said the state is not trying to connect the two terms. "I fully understand that when someone saw this word in isolation, they thought, 'Oh, these guys are getting a bit racy,??" said Reid. "We??re actually doing everything we can possibly do to not lead you to that place in your mind."

The department tried other names for the state lotteries scratch tickets before picking Kwikies. "The benefit of buying this ticket is that it??s quick, easy and fun," said Reid. "That??s what an instant ticket is."

While "quickie" is used in different businesses, including some convenience stores, Welch said his female cashiers are still extremely uncomfortable with the name. "Selling tickets is great, but it??s the girls behind the counters who have to sell these things," he said. "I don??t need them to be emotionally upset. It??s not worth it for what we make off a ticket."

The name Kwikie hasn??t been finalized just yet, as the bureau is gathering more public opinion before officially rolling it out. "It??s not our decision to offend anybody. If we see that??s where it??s going, we won??t do it," said Reid.

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