At the French Academy, Voltaire was goaded into kissing cheeks with this diplomat, who was credited with snatching the “scepter from tyrants” in a motto by Turgot. For 10 points each:
[10e] Name this diplomat who had flings with women like Madame Brillon and thrilled French society with his fur cap while serving as Ambassador to France from 1776 to 1785.
ANSWER: Benjamin Franklin [or Ben Franklin]
[10m] Franklin may have proposed to a salonnière who used this Latinate place name as her surname. A client state that Revolutionary France established under this name faced the “war of the sticks” and the bourla-papey revolt.
ANSWER: Helvetica [accept word forms of Helvetic or Helvetii; accept Madame Helvétius or Helvetic Republic]
[10h] Franklin’s two-word reply to questions about the American Revolution may have inspired this song that calls for “aristocrats to the lamp-post.” It is one of three popular French Revolution anthems alongside “La Carmagnole” (“kar-mon-YOLE”) and “La Marseillaise.”
ANSWER: “Ça ira” (“sah ee-RAH”) [or “Ah ! ça ira”] (Meaning, “it’ll turn out fine.”)
<AP, European History>