stormyknight,
re: "I'm thinking(speculating) that it was part of the colloquial language at the time..."
But since you don't provide any examples, perhaps someone new visiting this topic may know of some.
I can think of several examples, and I hope this helps clear a lot of the confusion. The "special glasses" in National Treasure were needed with the correct combination of the clues to find the treasure.
Without the right combination of clues, they could never find the glasses. Without the glasses, the map is useless. Without the map, the glasses are useless.
I love this thread for so so so many reasons. Where to start, rstrats?
The 'magic glasses' are the Hebrew/Jewish world view. We miss so much, because what was common to them, and instantly understandable to every ten year old Jewish child is like Chinese to Westerners.
Jesus and Paul and many NT writers, used common idioms, that were instantly known and recognized to the audience of the 1st Century Jews.
The Catholic church has for millennia blamed the Jews, and there is a long and well-documented history of anti-Semitism, and disdain for everything Jewish.
Because of their hatred/ ignorance, they missed the glasses.
Jewish Inclusive Reckoning, and Hermeneutics 101.
Jews used Inclusive Reckoning - when using normal numbers such as six days - think of it like a car-towing company. They towed your car during the concert Saturday night. You go to the parking lot just after midnight, and your car is gone. You go at 8:30 on Monday, and you get charged for 3 days. Part of Saturday night, Sunday and part of Monday.
***This does not apply when we see the explicitly clear passages that state 40 days and 40 nights. Anything come to mind?? Anyone? Beeeeuuuller??
Bible Interpretation 101.
- Interpret unclear passages with clear passages. The most clear passages supersede or take precedence over unclear ones.
- Cross reference. What other passages are there that confirm, or shed light on the passage
- The Bible was written in common Greek - the common language of fishermen and farmers. If it seems to make literal sense, - seek no other sense, or it will be nonsense.
- Look at the context . Culture context [Who was the author and who was the audience] the Historical context and the grammatical context.
- The text can never mean what it never said. Eisegesis - is reading into the text something that is not there. [Palm Sunday].
The scripture says explicitly that it rained 40 days and 40 nights. This is not Inclusive reckoning. Not 38 days and part of a night and part of a day.
The gospel tells us Christ was in the wilderness 40 days and 40 nights. Not parts of days.
- The two witnesses in Revel die and their bodies lay in the streets 3 and a half days. This is not a day and parts of two days. It means 84 hrs.
Two examples of Jewish Inclusive reckoning.
The key here, is that in Jewish tradition, the spirit lingers near the body for 3 days *** Inclusive Reckoning here. Meaning that the person is not sleeping, and resurrection is no longer possible. 
3 cases of people being dead at least 3 full days, and resurrecting. Hmmmmm.
Lazarus was dead and in the tomb four days - *** Jewish inclusive reckoning. It's not important here how many hours. The writers could have said explicitly.
-- Here's our special glasses again. The important thing is this narrative that Non-Jews missed is that it was not a day and parts of 2. There was no hope or chance of resurrection.
The text says explicitly that Christ heard Lazarus was sick, but waited 2 more days. So that they would know He is the Resurrection and the Life.
OK, friends - let's look at this very closely. Here's the ultimate example of what happens when people use eisegesis - reading into the text something that is not there, and the results of not having the 'lens'.
The Catholic writers and translators didn't have the Jewish world view to understand Sabbaths. Every holy day/ feast is Shabbat, and the weekly Sabbath is Shabbat. One Hebrew word. So they incorrectly assumed that Passover Nisan 14 was Friday, and then incorrectly took the clue from John 12. *** A very very important clue, but in math, you need the order of operations. Please excuse my dear aunt sally. Parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus went from Bethany, home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus. They counted back incorrectly, - using Roman counting, starting from Thursday. Do this yourself. Count backwards on your hand - six days. Thursday-1, Wednesday -2, Tuesday-3, Monday- 4, Sunday-5, Saturday-6.
Then the text says that the next day, Jesus entered Jerusalem. The huge problem with this is that the trip from Bethany to Jerusalem was more than a Sabbath day's journey. They didn't understand Inclusive reckoning - Palm Sunday is completely bogus. Wrong order of operations =wrong solution.
- When we cross reference the explicit words of Christ - and the only sign that he gave as proof of his messiahship, we look at Jonah.
- Christ quoted Jonah, and used the same exact phrase used in Jonah. Not parts of 3 days. [Remember Jewish tradition re death.] 3 days and 3 nights.
If you hold the view that Jonah was in the fish a day and a half, then it means that Christ was only in the wilderness 38 1/2 days. Explicit passages trump unclear ones.
Two other examples of well-known and instantly recognized idioms.
- The last utterance of Christ on the cross was not the pathetic translation of our English Bibles, It is finished. This is a horrible mistranslation. That's what people say, when you clean out the gutters and are covered with mud and slime and rotting leaves. It is finished. Or you clean out the garage.
Christ said "Tetelestai" a common phrase from accounting, widely used in the day. It literally means "Paid in Full"
- Paul and Christ both used instantly recognized Hebrew idioms, to tell us what to watch for, and Paul also said that the end will not surprise us "like a thief".
Paul used the phrase "the last trumpet" referring to the Second Advent.
Every child over age 10 knows this, just as every 10 year old knows what the day of Turkey is, or the Day of Love. The Last trumpet is the last, and 100th long, sustained blast of the Shofar, at the Feast of Trumpets. *** Yom Teruah, is literally Day of Shouting. The bridegroom came with a shout. When the new moon is sighted in Jerusalem by 2 witnesses, the priests blast the shofar.
People on distant hills watch and listen, with signal fires ready. All the feasts for the coming year, including Day of atonement depend on this.
The priests blow different series of trumpet blasts, each with distinct sound. 99 blasts. long sustained blasts, and sharp, short staccato blasts.
Then, -- there is Tekia Hagadol - The last trump. This is the longest blast - signaling the Day of Teruah. New Moon has been sighted.
Maranatha.
3 cases of people being dead at least 3 full days, and resurrecting. Hmmmmm. 
The wording in the opening post was a bit confusing.