THEME: EW inserted into random phrases creating odd ones
GOOD ONES: Title: ICK FACTOR {ew}
Powerful Persian bloodline? M
EWING DYNASTY [the Persian is a cat]
Beginning of Christmas? CEE
Hardly a pick-up expert SLOB [she doesn't pick up after herself] (is this sexist? I'm not using masculine pronouns for neuter nouns)
Summers in China? ABACI [sums = adds]
Shaker unit GRAIN [I thought furniture style]
Told too much OLD [that is, too often told]
BTW: Want more PREFER [much too far afield: preference does not suggest quantity]
Castaway's signal FLARE [only if he's stranded and happens to have one; I'd go with "Emergency signal" or "Elan homonym"]
Wise men MAGI [my fellow genii]
"Wanna bet?" YES IT IS [No it isn't; bets do not presume a positive or negative]
Bothersome
PESTY [I had PESKY, and I'm right;
pesty is substandard]
Cher's "Burlesque" role TESS [sad that a great literary character is passed over for a cheesy movie role]
RATING:
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun