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Head around the back with northern gorilla (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

nape

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

'head around the back' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'with northern gorilla' is the wordplay.
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'northern' becomes 'n' (abbreviation e.g. N. Ireland).
'gorilla' becomes 'ape' (I've seen this before).
'n'+'ape' is 'NAPE'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for nape that I've seen before include "Here's a hairline" , "Back part of the neck" , "Girl personifying France" , "Scruff of the neck" , "It's a pane in the neck" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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