What is making MySQL stay in strict mode New Mac

El Capitan 10.11.2

mysql-5.7.10-osx10.10-x86_64.dmg

I have to work with a database that has default dates "0000-00-00" but MySQL is in strict mode and chokes on them.

I can't find a way to switch off strict mode. I have
  [mysqld]
  sql-mode="";
in ~/my.cnf, but this makes no difference. I wonder if something is resetting it further up the food chain but I have no idea where to look. I have tried /usr/local/mysql/my.cnf. I have tried with the files called .my.cnf. The OS won't let me create /usr/my.cnf (an Apple security feature apparently).

Where else might I look; what else might I try?

Also some websites say sql_mode (underscore, not hyphen); which is correct?

Thanks
It turns out that the problem was ending the lines in my.cnf with semicolons. Leave them off, and /etc/my.cnf is read and stops strict mode.