diff --git a/base/methodshow.jl b/base/methodshow.jl
index 611686c067db6..154a79d849924 100644
--- a/base/methodshow.jl
+++ b/base/methodshow.jl
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ function arg_decl_parts(m::Method)
 end
 
 function show(io::IO, m::Method)
+    print(io, m.func.code.name)
     tv, decls, file, line = arg_decl_parts(m)
     if !isempty(tv)
         show_delim_array(io, tv, '{', ',', '}', false)
@@ -57,7 +58,6 @@ function show_method_table(io::IO, mt::MethodTable, max::Int=-1, header::Bool=tr
     while !is(d,())
         if max==-1 || n<max || (rest==0 && n==max && d.next === ())
             println(io)
-            print(io, name)
             show(io, d)
             n += 1
         else
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ function url(m::Method)
 end
 
 function writemime(io::IO, ::MIME"text/html", m::Method)
+    print(io, m.func.code.name)
     tv, decls, file, line = arg_decl_parts(m)
     if !isempty(tv)
         print(io,"<i>")
@@ -130,9 +131,27 @@ function writemime(io::IO, mime::MIME"text/html", mt::MethodTable)
     print(io, "$n $meths for generic function <b>$name</b>:<ul>")
     d = mt.defs
     while !is(d,())
-        print(io, "<li> ", name)
+        print(io, "<li> ")
         writemime(io, mime, d)
         d = d.next
     end
     print(io, "</ul>")
 end
+
+# pretty-printing of Vector{Method} for output of methodswith:
+
+function writemime(io::IO, mime::MIME"text/html", mt::AbstractVector{Method})
+    print(io, summary(mt))
+    if !isempty(mt)
+        print(io, ":<ul>")
+        for d in mt
+            print(io, "<li> ")
+            writemime(io, mime, d)
+        end
+        print(io, "</ul>")
+    end
+end
+               
+# override usual show method for Vector{Method}: don't abbreviate long lists
+writemime(io::IO, mime::MIME"text/plain", mt::AbstractVector{Method}) =
+    showarray(io, mt, limit=false)
diff --git a/base/util.jl b/base/util.jl
index 1f49fc7c530d3..0b2bc78aa4a29 100644
--- a/base/util.jl
+++ b/base/util.jl
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ function whicht(f, types)
         d = f.env.defs
         while !is(d,())
             if is(d.func.code, lsd)
-                print(STDOUT, f.env.name)
-                show(STDOUT, d); println(STDOUT)
+                display(d)
                 return
             end
             d = d.next
@@ -412,38 +411,36 @@ versioninfo(verbose::Bool) = versioninfo(STDOUT,verbose)
 
 # `methodswith` -- shows a list of methods using the type given
 
-function methodswith(io::IO, t::Type, m::Module, showparents::Bool)
+function methodswith(t::Type, m::Module, showparents::Bool=false)
+    meths = Method[]
     for nm in names(m)
         try
            mt = eval(m, nm)
            d = mt.env.defs
            while !is(d,())
                if any(map(x -> x == t || (showparents && t <: x && x != Any && x != ANY && !isa(x, TypeVar)), d.sig))
-                   print(io, nm)
-                   show(io, d)
-                   println(io)
+                   push!(meths, d)
                end
                d = d.next
            end
         end
     end
+    return meths
 end
 
-methodswith(t::Type, m::Module, showparents::Bool) = methodswith(STDOUT, t, m, showparents)
-methodswith(t::Type, showparents::Bool) = methodswith(STDOUT, t, showparents)
-methodswith(t::Type, m::Module) = methodswith(STDOUT, t, m, false)
-methodswith(t::Type) = methodswith(STDOUT, t, false)
-function methodswith(io::IO, t::Type, showparents::Bool)
+function methodswith(t::Type, showparents::Bool=false)
+    meths = Method[]
     mainmod = current_module()
     # find modules in Main
     for nm in names(mainmod)
         if isdefined(mainmod,nm)
             mod = eval(mainmod, nm)
             if isa(mod, Module)
-                methodswith(io, t, mod, showparents)
+                meths = [meths, methodswith(t, mod, showparents)]
             end
         end
     end
+    return meths
 end
 
 ## printing with color ##
diff --git a/doc/stdlib/base.rst b/doc/stdlib/base.rst
index aed578f7e08af..1cdbaf14a8c30 100644
--- a/doc/stdlib/base.rst
+++ b/doc/stdlib/base.rst
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ Getting Around
 
 .. function:: methodswith(typ[, showparents])
 
-   Show all methods with an argument of type ``typ``. If optional
-   ``showparents`` is ``true``, also show arguments with a parent type
+   Return an array of methods with an argument of type ``typ``. If optional
+   ``showparents`` is ``true``, also return arguments with a parent type
    of ``typ``, excluding type ``Any``.
 
 .. function:: @show