Trouble with non-standard attribute using v1.8

Trouble with non-standard attribute using v1.8

I had some code that worked with jQuery 1.4 using a non-standard attribute to hold a variable.

For example:   

<tr open="yes">~~~</tr>

Now with jquery-1.8 (also 1.6 and I suppose 1.7) as soon as jQuery gets a look at it, it changes that attribute to 

open="open"

Of course it doesn't change the source code, just what javaScript thinks the code is. Same thing happens in Chrome and Firefox. So what do I need to do to use nonstandard attributes with jQuery again?