diff --git a/MySQLdb/cursors.py b/MySQLdb/cursors.py
index a2a65d9..9e9384e 100644
--- a/MySQLdb/cursors.py
+++ b/MySQLdb/cursors.py
@@ -157,12 +157,7 @@ def execute(self, query, args=None):
             if isinstance(query, bytes):
                 query = query.decode();
 
-            if isinstance(args, dict):
-                query = query.format( **db.literal(args) )
-            elif isinstance(args, tuple) or isinstance(args, list):
-                query = query.format( *db.literal(args) )
-            else:
-                query = query.format( db.literal(args) )
+            query = query % db.literal(args)
 
         if isinstance(query, str):
             query = query.encode(charset);
@@ -219,12 +214,7 @@ def executemany(self, query, args):
         try:
             q = []
             for a in args:
-                if isinstance(a, dict):
-                    data = qv.format(**db.literal(a))
-                elif isinstance(a, tuple) or isinstance(a, list):
-                    data = qv.format( *db.literal(a) )
-                else:
-                    data = qv.format( db.literal(a) )
+                data = qv % db.literal(a)
                 q.append( data )
         except TypeError as msg:
             if msg.args[0] in ("not enough arguments for format string",