diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/comment.html b/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
index bb5c96555..7b2da2cc3 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ ${parent.collapsed()}
        %else:
          onclick="return hidecomment(this)">
        %endif
-       [${_("+") if collapse else unsafe(_("–"))}]
+       [${"+" if collapse else unsafe("–")}]
     </a>
   %endif
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/message.html b/r2/r2/templates/message.html
index 3010c62ff..7e3cf7a41 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/message.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/message.html
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ ${parent.thing_css_class(what)} ${"new" if thing.new else ""} ${"was-comment" if
          %else:
            onclick="return hidecomment(this)">
          %endif
-         [${_("+") if collapse else _("-")}]&nbsp;
+         [${"+" if collapse else unsafe("&ndash;")}]&nbsp;
      </a>
   <span class="head">
   <%
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/subreddit.compact b/r2/r2/templates/subreddit.compact
index fb7793b7d..10f3e6b6a 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/subreddit.compact
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/subreddit.compact
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
    %>
 <div class="thing subreddit id-${thing._fullname}">
   <div class="midcol"
-  ${toggle_button("fancy-toggle-button", _("+"), _("-"), 
+  ${toggle_button("fancy-toggle-button", "+", "-",
                   "subscribe('%s')" % thing._fullname, 
                   "unsubscribe('%s')" % thing._fullname, 
                   css_class = "add button", alt_css_class = "remove button",