Crossword Genius

A muscle's strained holding North American figurehead (5,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

uncle sam

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

'american figurehead' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'a muscle's strained holding north' is the wordplay.
'strained' indicates anagramming the letters.
'holding' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'north' becomes 'N' (abbreviation).
'a'+'muscle'='amuscle'
'amuscle' anagrammed gives 'uclesam'.
'uclesam' enclosing 'n' is 'UNCLE SAM'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for uncle sam that I've seen before include "Personification of the States" , "Statesman" , "Embodiment of the USA" , "The United States" , "America personified" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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