cock a snook
To regard someone or something with disrespect. Primarily heard in UK. Don't you cock a snook at my instructions—I'm your superior! If those brats will cock a snook at their own mother, do you really think they're going to listen to their teachers? You cannot cock a snook at the rules of the chemistry lab without also endangering the lives of everyone here.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cock a snook at someone/something
BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONEDIf you cock a snook at someone or something, you show them that you do not respect them, often by insulting them. They drove around in big cars, openly flaunting their wealth and cocking a snook at the forces of law and order. This was the electorate's attempt to cock a snook at their own political establishment. Note: To cock a snook at someone literally means to make a rude gesture by placing the end of your thumb on the end of your nose, spreading out your fingers, and moving them up and down. `Thumb your nose at someone' means the same.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012