diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 941c13e4..0f070d4b 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,15 +1,3 @@
-- where do we futz with interpretation? can we remove any of that now we
-  auto-futz in bandalike?
-
-  what about other uses of bandalike, eg. matching a one-band image to a
-  three-band vector, should we change anything there?
-
-- jpegsave saves a three-band RGB image tagged as BW with three different 
-  channels as a three-band jpg with all bands equal
-
-  cant be right!
-
-
 - does cplusplus need flipver() etc.?
 
 - are the mosaic functions calling vips_fastcor()? it must be very slow
diff --git a/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c b/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
index 1fe50c6b..d2cd6907 100644
--- a/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
+++ b/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
@@ -884,101 +884,6 @@ im__bandalike( const char *domain,
 	return( 0 );
 }
 
-int
-im__sizealike_vec( VipsImage **in, VipsImage **out, int n )
-{
-	int i;
-	int width_max;
-	int height_max;
-
-	g_assert( n >= 1 );
-
-	width_max = in[0]->Xsize;
-	height_max = in[0]->Ysize;
-	for( i = 1; i < n; i++ ) {
-		width_max = VIPS_MAX( width_max, in[i]->Xsize );
-		height_max = VIPS_MAX( height_max, in[i]->Ysize );
-	}
-
-	for( i = 0; i < n; i++ )
-		if( im_embed( in[i], out[i], 0, 0, 0, width_max, height_max ) )
-			return( -1 );
-
-	return( 0 );
-}
-
-int
-im__sizealike( VipsImage *in1, VipsImage *in2, 
-	VipsImage *out1, VipsImage *out2 )
-{
-	IMAGE *in[2];
-	IMAGE *out[2];
-
-	in[0] = in1;
-	in[1] = in2;
-	out[0] = out1;
-	out[1] = out2;
-
-	return( im__sizealike_vec( in, out, 2 ) );
-}
-
-/* The common part of most binary arithmetic, relational and boolean
- * operators. We:
- *
- * - check in and out
- * - cast in1 and in2 up to a common format
- * - cast the common format to the output format with the supplied table
- * - equalise bands 
- * - equalise size 
- * - run the supplied buffer operation passing one of the up-banded,
- *   up-casted and up-sized inputs as the first param
- */
-int
-im__arith_binary( const char *domain, 
-	IMAGE *in1, IMAGE *in2, IMAGE *out, 
-	int format_table[10], 
-	im_wrapmany_fn fn, void *b )
-{
-	IMAGE *t[7];
-
-	if( im_piocheck( in1, out ) || 
-		im_pincheck( in2 ) ||
-		im_check_bands_1orn( domain, in1, in2 ) ||
-		im_check_uncoded( domain, in1 ) ||
-		im_check_uncoded( domain, in2 ) )
-		return( -1 );
-
-	/* Cast our input images up to a common format and bands.
-	 */
-	if( im_open_local_array( out, t, 6, domain, "p" ) ||
-		im__formatalike( in1, in2, t[0], t[1] ) ||
-		im__bandalike( domain, t[0], t[1], t[2], t[3] ) ||
-		im__sizealike( t[2], t[3], t[4], t[5] ) )
-		return( -1 );
-
-	/* Generate the output.
-	 */
-	if( im_cp_descv( out, t[4], t[5], NULL ) )
-		return( -1 );
-
-	/* What number of bands will we write? Same as up-banded input.
-	 */
-	out->Bands = t[4]->Bands;
-
-	/* What output type will we write? 
-	 */
-	out->BandFmt = format_table[t[4]->BandFmt];
-
-	/* And process! The buffer function gets one of the input images as a
-	 * sample.
-	 */
-	t[6] = NULL;
-	if( im_wrapmany( t + 4, out, fn, t[4], b ) )	
-		return( -1 );
-
-	return( 0 );
-}
-
 VipsVector *
 im__init_program( VipsVector *vectors[IM_BANDFMT_LAST], 
 	VipsBandFmt format_table[IM_BANDFMT_LAST], VipsBandFmt fmt )