Scholars Bowl Toss-up Questions French Convention

Which of the following French dishes is a kind of stew?

Bouillabaisse

What would a young French woman be doing as she says, "Il m'aime, un peu, beaucoup,
passionnément, à la folie, pas du tout."?

Pulling the petals from a daisy (une marguerite), letting chance decide her fate

Regarding love, the French use the term "un coup de foudre" to express what idea?

Love at first sight

Who was the love interest of Cyrano and Christian in Edmond Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac?

Roxane

How old was Marie Antoinette when she married Louis XVI?

14

Who is the French Canadian singer who married her manager, René Angélil?

Céline Dion

What is the title of the 12th or early 13th century "chantefable" (sung story) where the son of a
Christian noble falls in love with a Saracen maiden?

Aucassin et Nicolette

Which Oscar-winning French actress played Adriana in the 2011 Woody Allen film "Midnight in
Paris?

(Marion) Cotillard

Which French President got married while in office?

(Nicolas) Sarkozy

What famous French couple fell in love as a result of drinking a love potion?

Tristan and Yseult

What is a "billet doux"?

A love letter

Which French Canadian (Acadian) heroine waited for her fiancé in Louisiana after they were
shipped out in the English takeover?

Évangeline

What is a bistro(t)?

A café, snack bar, small restaurant

The culinary term "farci(e)" refers to what type of preparation?

stuffed

An "entremets" is an alternative word for what component of a meal?

dessert

For what product is Poilâne best known?

Bread, since Poilâne was the most famous baker in the world

What are the three (3) main ingredients of the dish "bœuf bourguignon"?

Beef, red wine, and onions

What is "fromage de chèvre"?

goat cheese

What is the French term for 'the main course' of a French meal?

Le plat principal

What is Orangina?

A soft drink of carbonated orange juice

Name two principle ingredients of a dish prepared "à la Provençale"?

olive oil, tomatoes, garlic

Which of the following is NOT typical of French eating habits?

Milk being a common breakfast drink

What did Henri IV promise every Frenchman?

Une poule au pot tous les dimanches (a chicken in the pot every Sunday)

What is an "escalope de veau"?

veal cutlet

What is the equivalent proverb in English for the French proverb « aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera »?

Heaven helps those who help themselves

What does the phrase "poser un lapin à quelqu'un" mean?

To stand-up someone (not show up for a date)

What is a "croque-monsieur"?

A grilled/toasted ham and cheese sandwich

Name one of France's first four public TV channels.

France 2 (or Antenne 2), France 3, ARTE, La Cinquième

"Foie gras de canard" is liver pâté made from which animal?

duck

Name one food and one drink item of a typical French breakfast.

Croissant, hard roll, tartine, yogurt
café, café au lait, hot chocolate

What is "blancmange"?

Almond milk with gelatin chilled in a mold

Of the following influential persons, which one is not a painter?

Jules Verne

What is the French term for a day-care facility for children?

La crèche/la garderie

What is the translation of "chaperon rouge"?

Red Riding Hood

The "rez-de-chaussée" in French is equivalent to what in English?

1st floor or ground floor

What was the first French town liberated by the Allied forces on D-day?

Sainte-Mère-Église

What hit American drama is called "Urgences" in France?

E.R.

What French acronym corresponds to the modern American term, CEO or chief executive officer?

P.D.G. (Président-Directeur Général)

Translate the expression "un esprit sain dans un corps sain".

A healthy mind in(side) a healthy body

Who was the leading French architect of the 20th century?

Le Corbusier

Which French realist painter is known for his political and social caricatures?

(Honoré) Daumier

The city of Nice built a museum to house the Old Testament themed paintings of which Russian
born artist?

(Marc) Chagall

Who designed the Statue of Liberty?

(Frédéric-Auguste) Bartholdi

Duke Henri de Guise was murdered in which château?

Blois

Debates over the "sécu" have been in the news lately in France. To what does this shortened form
refer?

Social security

What is the name of the family of rockets that carry commercial satellites?

Ariane

What painter is known for his paintings of ballet dancers from the opera?

Degas

What did Joseph Nicéphore Niépce invent?

Photography

What is the name of the slightly sweet roll made from a rich dough containing eggs and lots of butter with a distinctive ball shape on top?

La brioche

What is the name of the traditional French cake shaped like a log, iced with chocolate, and sometimes decorated with a few pieces of meringue in the form of mushrooms.

La bûche de Noël

Name the battle which saved French Christianity from a Muslim invasion in the year 732.

The Battle of Poitiers/The Battle of Tours

Who designed the city of Washington, D.C?

(Pierre-Charles) L'Enfant

What does the Cajun idiom "Lâche pas la patate" mean figuratively not literally?

Don't give up!

What French scientist was the inventor of modern chemistry?

(Antoine-Laurent de) Lavoisier

What is the name of the famous cave in the Dordogne or Périgord region discovered in 1940 by some boys when their dog disappeared down a hole in the ground? Because of its beautiful ceiling
and wall paintings, it has been called the "Sistine chapel of Prehistory".

Lascaux

Who was Clotilde?

wife of Clovis, King of the Francs

What were the priests of the Gauls called?

druids

To whom has the title "dauphin" been applied historically?

To the oldest son of the king of France

Which French nobleman is known for helping the American colonists in their struggle for independence?

(Marquis de) Lafayette

What woman was married to the King of France and later the King of England, producing two kings of England?

Aliénor d'Aquitaine

Who was the first king of the Capetian dynasty?

(Hugh/Hugues) Capet

What was the original nationality of Marie Antoinette?

Austrian

When her husband was assigned to the American Embassy, what television personality and author
enrolled in the Cordon Bleu École de cuisine?

Julia Child

The patron saint of Paris, Sainte Geneviève successfully prevented the Huns from attacking her city in which century?

5th century

What French peasant was made a saint in 1920?

Jeanne d'Arc / Joan of Arc

What is the name of the large square where hundreds of French people were guillotined during the
revolution?

la Place de la Concorde

Who said "man is born free, but is everywhere in chains"?

(Jean-Jacques) Rousseau

What police technique did Alphonse Bertillon develop?

Fingerprinting

What treaty returned Alsace-Lorraine to France in 1919?

The Treaty of Versailles / le Traité de Versailles

Where was Marie Antoinette imprisoned before going to the guillotine?

In the Conciergerie

At what age did Jeanne d'Arc begin to hear voices?

17

Name a common cheese in France.

Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Pont-l'Eveque , Cantal, Saint-André, Chavignol

At the time of the Roman invasion of France, Caesar called the tribes in the area what name?

Les Gaulois / the Gauls

Conquered by Caesar in 56 BC, this region was named Armorica after the Celtic word for seaside.

Brittany

"Une grande surface" is a term for what type of commercial site?

A shopping mall

Which powerful French minister is credited with the founding of the Académie Française?

Cardinal Richelieu

During which king's reign was the Académie Française founded?

Louis XIII

What French mathematician created analytical geometry?

Descartes

Who was the greatest king of the Carolingian dynasty?

Charlemagne

Clovis was a ruler during which French dynasty?

Merovingian

What was the first ruling dynasty of France?

Merovingian

Which leader of the Gauls was the model for the Astérix comic books, was captured by the Romans,
left to languish in prison in Rome?

Vercingétorix

Who became France's first National hero by leading the Gauls against Julius Cesar in 52 B.C?

Vercingétorix

What was the aristocratic quarter of Paris during the 17th century called?

Le Marais

In 1996 the pope celebrated the 1,500th anniversary of the baptism of which king of France?

Clovis

This holiday originated with soldiers playing pranks on each other. What is this famous Tuesday?

Mardi Gras

Who was the head of government during the Vichy regime?

(Maréchal Philippe) Pétain

Name the French writer who founded, wrote about, and influenced others in the philosophy of existentialism?

(Jean-Paul) Sartre

What do the French call the cold, harsh wind which blows from the Alps to southern France and
causes crop damage?

Le Mistral

What is the name of the special cake that is served on January 6th at the Fête des Rois?

la galette (des rois)

What is the French term for a bakery?

une boulangerie

What does the phrase "plat du jour" literally mean?

dish of the day

What personage, found on the French eurocent, is the symbol of the French republic?

Marianne

What does the sign "défense de fumer" mean?

No smoking

Where did La Goulue dance?

At the Moulin Rouge

Who painted "Luncheon on the Grass"?

Manet (also a later version by Monet)

Restaurants and hotels in France are rated by the Guide Michelin. What is the highest rating possible?

Three stars

Who was France's leader between 1958 and 1969?

Charles de Gaulle

On what would you put a vinaigrette?

a salad

Which is the more expensive way to order at a French restaurant: à la carte or menu à prix fixe?

à la carte