maths puzzle

[cc36]

what is 7= y until the o

[Quizmonster]

Years until the Olympics.

[biley]

Surely that should be 7= y until the lo - does not make any sense otherwise - that is if it does have to do with the Olympics. If the compiler really does mean this to be 7 years until the Olympics he/she really does need to come up with better puzzles than that!!

[Quizmonster]

I simply assumed the questioner had chosen the heading "Maths puzzle" when he/she just meant it was a "Ditloid"! The British-hosted Olympics are to be held in 2012, which is 7 years from now...end of story. It makes perfect sense to me.
I do not get your point about 'lo' or 'Io', Biley. (Not sure whether you have used an upper case 'i' or a lower case 'L'.)

[Quizmonster]

I had quite forgotten that this identical question had also been posted in the Phrases & Sayings category, where I provided the very same answer as I did here. Having just come across that other version, I see that CC36 has allocated three stars to my response there. Clearly, then, he/she seems to be happy with the answer.

[cc36]

thank you all for your answers.it was a question on my godchild's homework.

[biley]

I wasn't getting at you Quizmonster, because you provided the only logical answer - I was simply pointing out there are NOT seven years until the Olympics - the next Olympics will be held in 2008 - and it is this that makes the question from this teacher (?) really quite dreadful.

I repeat that if it had said 7= Y until the LO (using capital letters this time) for seven years until the LONDON Olympics that would have been acceptable. It is not acceptable in its current guise as it simply is not true.

[Quizmonster]

Ah! I get the picture now, B. I have never - basically because I'm too old to adapt - got used to the current tendency to use lower case letters where capitals are 'essential'.
CC's response makes it clear that this was a school child's question. I would assume, therefore, that the child's teacher had been telling the class all about the London Olympics and hence the use of the word 'the' would specifically refer to those rather than the intervening Games. In the same way, "the war" means whichever war is being discussed.
Context is all, in other words.
Cheers