Possible Clues:

• Nonliteral phrase ... or, in another sense, a hint to 19-, 30- or 38-Across
• It's tropical -- say 'seven'
• Politician's quoted statistic, not to be taken literally?
• A number mentioned writer's technique for creating an effect
• Eg, hyperbole
• Language used in a non-literal sense
• Oxymoron is possibly too cryptically described
• Maybe too voluble to consider a metaphor?
• Orator's statistic that's not meant to be taken literally