Why Does the Wynn Logo Have a Period?

Why does the Wynn logo include a period?

One explanation comes from VitalVegas.com blogger Scott Roeben, who takes us back in time. “Steve Wynn was still stinging from having lost his baby, Bellagio, to MGM at the time,” Roeben recalls. “He added the period to sort of say, ‘If you thought Bellagio was great, just watch me. This is my master class in resort creation and this is the only place awesome enough to have my name on it. There’s never been anything like it and never will. Period.’ Except for Encore, of course. That didn’t get a period, because Wynn had already made his point. Literally.”

Longtime Vegas resident, reporter, and historian Steve Friess says he doesn't have a definitive answer, but as for "the best available version of the truth," he confirms Roeben’s account, writing, “Wynn once told me as much, explaining it was a subtle way of saying that this is the definition of his embodiment as a resort, the ultimate. As subtle, that is, as you can be on top of a 42-story building and so many bottles of water.”

Friess went on to comment about the diverse uses of punctuation in Strip history, whether proclamatory (Donn Arden’s Jubilee!), clarifying (Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular), as a signifier of inseparability (Siegfried & Roy), and/or as a indicator of inclusivity (Caesars Palace -- without the possessive apostrophe).

“Also meaningless — and a lot more irksome — was the ellipsis that followed the name of a certain Canadian songstress’ old production at the Colosseum, A New Day … . What was the point of those three dots, other than to confound those of us in the media who felt we had to write them every time we mentioned the show?”

Considering that Steve Wynn went on to build the punctuation-less Encore (not Encore!), Wynn Palace in Macao and Wynn Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts, his definitive statement in resort-building always seemed just out of his grasp. If Wynn had ever built the perfect hotel, he would probably have had to blow it up, just so he could start over. And as for Encore Boston Harbor, how can there be an Encore to something to which Boston has seen no predecessors? It was, it seems, the most graceful way out of a mess.

Speaking of which, Wynn Resorts was the one party that wouldn’t go on the record for LVA. Given the light years they've been trying to put between themselves and their founder, we're neither surprised nor unsympathetic.

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Comments

Francis Jul-27-2020

More punctuation

Thanks for the insightful article on punctuation. I absolutely love the QOD and everything else about LVA.  

Now, this next question is a bit tongue-in-cheek, and please take it in the spirit in which it is offered.  Why is the newsletter and site logo “Anthony Curtis’ Las Vegas Advisor” rather than “Anthony Cutrtis’s Las Vegas Advisor”?  (I know that there is a narrow exception to the normal rule for biblical names, but Anthony C., though probably close, is not quite to that level...yet.)

Deke Castleman Jul-27-2020

Francis

Thanks for the further punctuation question (and kudos). 

The story on Anthony Curtis' Las Vegas Advisor is that a long long time ago, somewhere between the dinosaurs and the Babylonian Empire, Anthony Curtis's name was added to the Las Vegas Advisor brand. Back in those ancient times, the style was "s-apostrophe" to denote the possessive in singular nouns and proper names that ended in "s." 

Since then, of course, that style has evolved to the "s-apostrophe-s." Though it was more economical type-wise, it changed due to the pronunciation aspect and is now recommended by most style manuals. 

However, since it started out that way, Anthony Curtis' without the added "s" has simply stayed that way. We figure it will remain until the style changes back to s-apostrophe, given the general trend in language toward the more economical type-wise.

O2bnVegas Jul-27-2020

done right

What an astute observation by Francis!  And the thorough answer by deke, as always. 

It prodded me to consult my copy of The Little, Brown Handbook, 8th Ed., which I bought to pass English Comp II in 2003.  Fun stuff.

In this edition, Curtis' LasVegasAdvisor is an exception to the 'rule' of adding -'s to singular nouns.  An example of the rule:
 
 - "Henry James's novels reward the patient reader."

Exceptions are allowed when we do not pronounce the possessive-s of  some singular nouns ending in an s or a z sound.  In these cases the apostrophe is added only to show possession:

 - Moses' mother hid him in the bulrushes.
 - Joan Rivers' jokes offend some people.

A personal observation--folks often add "the" when speaking of certain hotels, e.g. "the Caesars" or "the Bellagio" or "the Wynn".  Some hotels are "The" named, e.g. The Mirage, but many are not.  MGM Grand is commonly referred to as "the MGM".  "We are staying at the MGM." But I digress, and it is no big deal!

Eileen Jul-27-2020

Just what we need, more "entitlement"

Why did LVA have to put in the last 2 words of this QOD (nor unsympathetic)?  I'm not defending Mr Wynn and his fall from grace, but most of the suits associated with Wynn Resorts these days owes their success, in large part, to Steve Wynn.  Las Vegas does too.  You don't have to agree or defend, but surely there are other things to fill up the printed page.  Very disappointing.

Jeff Jul-27-2020

@Eileen Pratte-Alindugan

Mentioning Wynn's serial sexual predation is never irrelevant. Period.

Eileen Jul-27-2020

Jeff

I never said it was irrelevant, and LVA didn't mention the specifics of Mr. Wynn's fall from grace.  But it's obvious you have a very strong opinion on the matter since you had to specifically use my name to target your response.

Jeff Jul-27-2020

@Eileen Pratte-Alindugan

It's the custom in the comments section of the QoD that when one is replying to a specific commenter rather than replying in general to the original question or answer to put @TheCommenterOneIsReplyingTo as the title. That's all that that title meant.

I reread your comment, and although you never used the word "irrelevant," it does sound -- to me anyway  -- that that is how you were characterizing the answer's allusion to what you euphemistically called Wynn's "fall from grace."

Question of the Day - 27 July 2020

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