diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 82687f3d..024f2e2f 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,17 +1,3 @@
-- print_usage could show more about pspecs, eg. for "in" we have:
-
-	VIPS_ARG_IMAGE( class, "in", 1, 
-		_( "Input" ), 
-		_( "Input image" ),
-		VIPS_ARGUMENT_REQUIRED_INPUT,
-		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsCopy, in ) );
-
-  but only display:
-
-  	   in :: VipsImage (input)
-
-
-
 - "header fred.tif" does not work, since header uses im_open() which uses
   VipsForeign
 
@@ -19,10 +5,6 @@
 
 - make the old format/vips.c into a stub as well?
 
-  make sure we are using the operation cache for jpegload
-
-  have something to print the cache before we flush it?
-
   try tiff load
 
   move format/* to deprecated
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/operation.c b/libvips/iofuncs/operation.c
index 9a7deae3..d4307e74 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/operation.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/operation.c
@@ -89,13 +89,15 @@ vips_operation_class_print_arg( VipsObjectClass *object_class,
 		if( print->message && print->n == 0 ) 
 			vips_buf_appendf( buf, "%s\n", print->message );
 
-		if( print->oftype ) 
-			vips_buf_appendf( buf, "   %s :: %s (%s)\n",
+		if( print->oftype ) {
+			vips_buf_appendf( buf, "   %-10s - %s, %s (%s)\n",
 				g_param_spec_get_name( pspec ), 
+				g_param_spec_get_blurb( pspec ), 
 				g_type_name( 
 					G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE( pspec ) ),
 				(argument_class->flags & VIPS_ARGUMENT_INPUT) ?
 					_( "input" ) : _( "output" ) );
+		}
 		else {
 			if( print->n > 0 )
 				vips_buf_appends( buf, " " );