diff --git a/wp-admin/categories.php b/wp-admin/categories.php
index 65358c1866..9ef2e050c7 100644
--- a/wp-admin/categories.php
+++ b/wp-admin/categories.php
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ endif; ?>
 <p class="search-box">
 	<label class="hidden" for="category-search-input"><?php _e('Search Categories'); ?>:</label>
 	<input type="text" id="category-search-input" name="s" value="<?php _admin_search_query(); ?>" />
-	<input type="submit" value="<?php _e( 'Search Categories' ); ?>" class="button" />
+	<input type="submit" value="<?php _ea( 'Search Categories' ); ?>" class="button" />
 </p>
 </form>
 <br class="clear" />
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ if ( $page_links )
 <option value="" selected="selected"><?php _e('Bulk Actions'); ?></option>
 <option value="delete"><?php _e('Delete'); ?></option>
 </select>
-<input type="submit" value="<?php _e('Apply'); ?>" name="doaction" id="doaction" class="button-secondary action" />
+<input type="submit" value="<?php _ea('Apply'); ?>" name="doaction" id="doaction" class="button-secondary action" />
 <?php wp_nonce_field('bulk-categories'); ?>
 </div>
 
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ if ( $page_links )
 <option value="" selected="selected"><?php _e('Bulk Actions'); ?></option>
 <option value="delete"><?php _e('Delete'); ?></option>
 </select>
-<input type="submit" value="<?php _e('Apply'); ?>" name="doaction2" id="doaction2" class="button-secondary action" />
+<input type="submit" value="<?php _ea('Apply'); ?>" name="doaction2" id="doaction2" class="button-secondary action" />
 <?php wp_nonce_field('bulk-categories'); ?>
 </div>
 
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ if ( $page_links )
     <p><?php _e('The description is not prominent by default, however some themes may show it.'); ?></p>
 </div>
 
-<p class="submit"><input type="submit" class="button" name="submit" value="<?php _e('Add Category'); ?>" /></p>
+<p class="submit"><input type="submit" class="button" name="submit" value="<?php _ea('Add Category'); ?>" /></p>
 <?php do_action('edit_category_form', $category); ?>
 </form></div>
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/formatting.php b/wp-includes/formatting.php
index 145ee5ce22..ffaeee1b7c 100644
--- a/wp-includes/formatting.php
+++ b/wp-includes/formatting.php
@@ -2073,17 +2073,32 @@ function js_escape($text) {
 /**
  * Escaping for HTML attributes.
  *
- * @since 2.0.6
+ * @since 2.8.0
  *
  * @param string $text
  * @return string
  */
-function attribute_escape( $text ) {
+function attr( $text ) {
 	$safe_text = wp_check_invalid_utf8( $text );
 	$safe_text = wp_specialchars( $safe_text, ENT_QUOTES );
 	return apply_filters( 'attribute_escape', $safe_text, $text );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Escaping for HTML attributes.
+ *
+ * @since 2.0.6
+ *
+ * @deprecated 2.8.0
+ * @see attr()
+ * 
+ * @param string $text
+ * @return string
+ */
+function attribute_escape( $text ) {
+	return attr( $text );
+}
+
 /**
  * Escape a HTML tag name.
  *
diff --git a/wp-includes/l10n.php b/wp-includes/l10n.php
index 8310a58211..44ec2eae3d 100644
--- a/wp-includes/l10n.php
+++ b/wp-includes/l10n.php
@@ -105,6 +105,22 @@ function __( $text, $domain = 'default' ) {
 	return translate( $text, $domain );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Retrieves the translation of $text and escapes it for safe use in an attribute.
+ * If there is no translation, or the domain isn't loaded the original text is returned.
+ *
+ * @see translate() An alias of translate()
+ * @see attr()
+ * @since 2.8.0
+ *
+ * @param string $text Text to translate
+ * @param string $domain Optional. Domain to retrieve the translated text
+ * @return string Translated text
+ */
+function _a( $text, $domain = 'default' ) {
+	return attr( translate( $text, $domain ) );
+}
+
 /**
  * Displays the returned translated text from translate().
  *
@@ -118,6 +134,20 @@ function _e( $text, $domain = 'default' ) {
 	echo translate( $text, $domain );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Displays translated text that has been escaped for safe use in an attribute.
+ *
+ * @see translate() Echos returned translate() string
+ * @see attr()
+ * @since 2.8.0
+ *
+ * @param string $text Text to translate
+ * @param string $domain Optional. Domain to retrieve the translated text
+ */
+function _ea( $text, $domain = 'default' ) {
+	echo attr( translate( $text, $domain ) );
+}
+
 /**
  * Retrieve translated string with vertical bar context
  *
@@ -145,6 +175,10 @@ function _x( $single, $context, $domain = 'default' ) {
 	return translate_with_gettext_context( $single, $context, $domain );
 }
 
+function _xa( $single, $context, $domain = 'default' ) {
+	return attr( translate_with_gettext_context( $single, $context, $domain ) );
+}
+
 function __ngettext() {
 	_deprecated_function( __FUNCTION__, '2.8', '_n()' );
 	$args = func_get_args();