To attempt to be a pedant one needs to learn how to use a dictionary and study the etymology of words and expressions.viz.

Snoot - Idioms by The Free Dictionary
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/snoot

cock a snoot. To regard someone or something with disrespect.

In a written sense the snoot is cocked by using language that is too subtle for the pretensious literati to understand leaving the boor in confusion and those in the know to smile quietly to themselves knowing that something unpleasant has been identified and neutralised. Again this must be done in the presence of the pretentious or there is no point in being subtle.