Legal Week’s revelation that Ashurst Morris Crisp is in merger talks with US firm Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson has already got one ex-Fried Frank associate wondering what the merged firm will be called if the deal comes off.

“Given that ‘frank’ is an American term for a hotdog, are we to believe that the new firm will be called ‘Crisp Fried Frank’?” he asks. Failing that, they could just go for Fried Crisp.