Crossword Genius

Insult someone male, equally hollow (4,1,5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cock a snook

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

'insult someone' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I cannot judge whether this works.

'male equally hollow' is the wordplay.
'male' becomes 'cock' (male chicken).
'equally' becomes 'as' (synonyms).
'hollow' becomes 'nook' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'cock'+'as'+'nook'='COCK A SNOOK'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cock a snook that I've seen before include "Show contempt (with thumb touching nose and fingers spread)" , "Gesture contemptuously" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.