Gnu's lips snarling, a little cross (4,4)

I believe the answer is:

plus sign

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'a little cross' is the definition.
'plus sign' can be an answer for 'cross' (I've seen this before). I am unsure of the 'a little' bit.

'gnu's lips snarling' is the wordplay.
'snarling' indicates anagramming the letters (I've seen 'snarled' mean this (to snarl can mean to entangle or twist)).
'gnus'+'lips'='gnuslips'
'gnuslips' is an anagram of 'PLUS SIGN'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for plus sign that I've seen before include "(4,4)" , "cross" , "//www.crosswordgiant.com/crossword-clue/1252911/" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.