Verbage context of a verbal threat.

[Brazen808]

During an altercation, an individual says to another "i WOULD eat you up" and NOt "I WILL eat you up"--Is the use of the word "would" instead of the word "will" considered a verbal threat? only because of the verbage/context is the reason for this question(probably and definitely)?\

[factor-fiction]

Eh?

[sara3]

gosh, I used to say this to my kids! "you're so scrummy I could eat you up!"

I think you probably need to explain the circumstances of this "threat". on it's own, it doesn't sound very threatening.

[dzug]

If it's a verbal altercation the precise words are not important, it's more the manner in which they are uttered. Quite likely one (or both) of the parties really doesn't know the difference between the two anyway.