>>>Or end at 2:59:59.99999999999999..... Only logical meaning would be everything upto but not including 3:00:00
>>
>>Funny you give this example. A university professor (theoretical mathematics) recently 'proved' in a lecture to us, the parents of his students, that 0.999999999... (in other words, an endless stream of nines) is completely equal to 1.
>
>That appears to be to opposite of the old claim that a hare running twice as fast as a tortoise can never actually catch up - just get closer and closer ad infinitum....

And you believe that old claim? Not believing that old claim only gives further evidence that 0.999... is completely equal to 1. :)

>>
>>>>> does anyone interpret 'until 2007' as meaning 'until the end of 2007'?
>>>>
>>>>Much less clear to me. What about "he worked there until 1957." Did he work there at all in 1957? Not clear.
>>>
>>>Unless you are going to apply different meanings to the word 'until' then no, not at all in 1957. Arguably, of course, it could mean that he worked there until 23:59:59.99999999 recurring on December,31st, 1956!
>>
>>I guess the most common interpretation of 'worked there until 1957' is that work ended there somewhere in that year, most likely in the first half of that year. Otherwise it would have been 'worked there until late 1957'.
>
>That appears to prove Tamar's claim that the usage is ambiguous - I wouldn't interpret it that way at all.
>OTOH, you're not a native english speaker so you don't get a full vote :-}

You're right in disqualifying me here. :)