diff --git a/components/icu/README.md b/components/icu/README.md
index c0ff0a1f5cb..a77ca5625a1 100644
--- a/components/icu/README.md
+++ b/components/icu/README.md
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ use icu::datetime::{DateTimeFormatter, NeoSkeletonLength, fieldsets::YMD};
 use icu::locale::locale;
 
 let dtf = DateTimeFormatter::try_new(
-    &locale!("es-US").into(),
+    locale!("es-US").into(),
     YMD::medium(),
 )
 .expect("compiled data should include 'es-US'");
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ let provider = LocaleFallbackProvider::new(provider, fallbacker);
 
 let dtf = DateTimeFormatter::try_new_with_buffer_provider(
     &provider,
-    &locale!("es-US").into(),
+    locale!("es-US").into(),
     YMD::medium(),
 )
 .expect("data should include 'es-US', 'es', or 'und'");