Today’s theme answer, CAMEOUTONTOP, ("Emerged victorious ... or what this puzzle's constructor did, as indicated by the shaded squares") is one literal way to summarize what the shaded words, MOM DAD IM QUEER, each of which occurred at the top of a two-word phrase in the top half of the puzzle, might literally represent - an apt way to OPEN Pride Month.

Nice that we didn't have to SETTLE for the same OLD grid format today. The grid pattern broke out of the usual mode and featured some fun longer Down answers like the theme answers as well as SEASONPASS, HATSTAND, and the amusing CLAPOMETER.

Overall, a Monday puzzle that wasn't TUTU difficult, but I did make one ERROR as I completed the grid. I first entered APtest at 14A “High school assessment scored from 1 to 5” but, when I got to 17A “Despise” and figured the answer had to be DETEST, I realized that two "tests" couldn't rightly ABUT each other. Fortunately, I was able to RYES to the occasion and correct APtest to APEXAM.

Clue-wise, I thought “archaically” in 21A ("'You,' archaically" (THEE)) could, and maybe should, have been extended to 23A “One taking office dictation” (STENO). In today’s world, the real answer would probably be Siri or Claude, or some other such means of automated transcription of the spoken word. I was amused to think that people find "lifelike dolls" to be CREEPY. In the QMC category, “Filing job, for short?” (MANI) was clever, and I enjoyed both the clue and answer for 37D “Give a tut-tut, e.g." (ADMONISH). Fill-wise, SPREE, DYSTOPIA, and OCULAR were a good TRIO.

Out of curiosity, I looked up the Wales village with the world's longest NAME (58 letters). Here it is for your viewing pleasure: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

~Frannie.

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