Short cook making insignificant things (5,3)
I believe the answer is:
small fry
'insignificant things' is the definition.
'small fry' can be an answer for 'things' (I have seen 'Unimportant things' mean 'small fry' so perhaps 'things' could also mean 'small fry'). I'm not certain of the 'insignificant' bit.
'short cook' is the wordplay.
'short' becomes 'small' (associated in meaning).
'cook' becomes 'fry' (frying is a type of cooking).
'small'+'fry'='SMALL-FRY'
'making' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for small fry that I've seen before include "young children" , "Unimportant people or things" , "Little fish - trivial things" , "Unimportant people or baby fish" , "Insignificant people" .)