A Passing Conversation

So I swung by Rally's tonight, as I do on occasion from time to time when I'm tired and in no mood to cook, and, upon reaching the checkout window, I notice a typed sign facing outward. It reads as followed:

"COMPLETE THE SURVEY ON THE BACK OF YOUR RECEIPT AND RECEIVE A 'FREE' BIG BUFORD!"

I immediately noticed that there were quotation marks around the word "FREE" and found them odd. So, when the woman - I didn't catch her name, so let's call her... Maeve - when Maeve came back to collect my money, I asked her for a reason. The conversation went something like this:

Stephen: "Why is 'FREE' in quotation marks?"

Maeve: "Excuse me?"

Stephen: "On your sign there. It says '"FREE" Big Buford.' Is it really free?"

Maeve: "Umm... I don't know what that means."

Stephen: "Then why is it in quotations?"

Maeve: "I don't know... I guess because our manager's an idiot!"

(At this point, 'Maeve' broke out into raucous laughter and turned to one of her co-workers.)

Maeve: "He asked why 'free' is in quotation marks on this sign..."

Stephen (through the window to the co-worker): "It says 'FREE' (air quotes) Big Buford..."

Maeve: "...and I told him it was because our manager was an idiot!"

(More raucous laughter.)

Maeve: "Of course, he's not here right now, so..."

Stephen: "Yeah, I gathered that from the fact that you were shouting our conversation across the kitchen..."

(More raucous laughter.)

Maybe it's not that funny, but it really amused me at the moment.