diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/look_and_feel.py b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/look_and_feel.py
index 565d0f5df4..c2f07ec5af 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/look_and_feel.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/look_and_feel.py
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ class LookAndFeelWidget(Widget, Ui_Form):
         self.button_font_key.clicked.connect(self.font_key_wizard)
         self.opt_remove_paragraph_spacing.toggle()
         self.opt_remove_paragraph_spacing.toggle()
-        self.opt_smarten_punctuation.stateChanged.connect(
-                lambda state: state != Qt.Unchecked and self.opt_unsmarten_punctuation.setCheckState(Qt.Unchecked))
-        self.opt_unsmarten_punctuation.stateChanged.connect(
-                lambda state: state != Qt.Unchecked and self.opt_smarten_punctuation.setCheckState(Qt.Unchecked))
+        connect_lambda(self.opt_smarten_punctuation.stateChanged, self, lambda self, state:
+                state != Qt.Unchecked and self.opt_unsmarten_punctuation.setCheckState(Qt.Unchecked))
+        connect_lambda(self.opt_unsmarten_punctuation.stateChanged, self, lambda self, state:
+                state != Qt.Unchecked and self.opt_smarten_punctuation.setCheckState(Qt.Unchecked))
 
     def get_value_handler(self, g):
         if g is self.opt_change_justification:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
index 3969b02330..e3417bb778 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ class DeviceMenu(QMenu):  # {{{
 
         mitem = self.addAction(QIcon(I('eject.png')), _('Eject device'))
         mitem.setEnabled(False)
-        mitem.triggered.connect(lambda x : self.disconnect_mounted_device.emit())
+        connect_lambda(mitem.triggered, self, lambda self, x: self.disconnect_mounted_device.emit())
         self.disconnect_mounted_device_action = mitem
         self.addSeparator()
 
@@ -818,8 +818,7 @@ class DeviceMenu(QMenu):  # {{{
 
         annot = self.addAction(_('Fetch annotations (experimental)'))
         annot.setEnabled(False)
-        annot.triggered.connect(lambda x :
-                self.fetch_annotations.emit())
+        connect_lambda(annot.triggered, self, lambda self, x: self.fetch_annotations.emit())
         self.annotation_action = annot
         self.enable_device_actions(False)
 
@@ -1769,7 +1768,7 @@ class DeviceMixin(object):  # {{{
         except:
             return False
 
-        string_pat = re.compile('(?u)\W|[_]')
+        string_pat = re.compile(r'(?u)\W|[_]')
 
         def clean_string(x):
             x = x.lower() if x else ''
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tag_mapper.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tag_mapper.py
index 83969d90d9..f03e0bd524 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tag_mapper.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tag_mapper.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
                         print_function)
 
 from collections import OrderedDict
-from functools import partial
 import textwrap
 
 from PyQt5.Qt import (
@@ -453,11 +452,15 @@ class SaveLoadMixin(object):
         self.load_menu.clear()
         if len(self.PREFS_OBJECT):
             for name, rules in self.PREFS_OBJECT.iteritems():
-                self.load_menu.addAction(name).triggered.connect(partial(self.load_ruleset, name))
+                ac = self.load_menu.addAction(name)
+                ac.setObjectName(name)
+                connect_lambda(ac.triggered, self, lambda self: self.load_ruleset(self.sender().objectName()))
             self.load_menu.addSeparator()
             m = self.load_menu.addMenu(_('Delete saved rulesets'))
             for name, rules in self.PREFS_OBJECT.iteritems():
-                m.addAction(name).triggered.connect(partial(self.delete_ruleset, name))
+                ac = m.addAction(name)
+                ac.setObjectName(name)
+                connect_lambda(ac.triggered, self, lambda self: self.delete_ruleset(self.sender().objectName()))
         else:
             self.load_menu.addAction(_('No saved rulesets available'))