diff --git a/base/char.jl b/base/char.jl
index 0d976f1663462..24076d6373578 100644
--- a/base/char.jl
+++ b/base/char.jl
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ convert(::Type{Char}, x::Float64) = Char(convert(UInt32, x))
 typemax(::Type{Char}) = Char(typemax(UInt32))
 typemin(::Type{Char}) = Char(typemin(UInt32))
 
-## character operations & comparisons ##
 size(c::Char) = ()
 size(c::Char,d) = convert(Int, d) < 1 ? throw(BoundsError()) : 1
 ndims(c::Char) = 0
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@ done(c::Char, state) = state
 isempty(c::Char) = false
 in(x::Char, y::Char) = x == y
 
-
 ==(x::Char, y::Char) = UInt32(x) == UInt32(y)
 ==(x::Char, y::Integer) = UInt32(x) == y
 ==(x::Integer, y::Char) = x == UInt32(y)
@@ -37,25 +35,15 @@ isless(x::Char, y::Char)    = isless(UInt32(x), UInt32(y))
 isless(x::Char, y::Integer) = isless(UInt32(x), y)
 isless(x::Integer, y::Char) = isless(x, UInt32(y))
 
-# numeric operations
-
-# ordinal operations
-+(x::Char   , y::Integer) = reinterpret(Char, Int32(x) + Int32(y))
+-(x::Char, y::Char) = Int(x) - Int(y)
+-(x::Char, y::Integer) = reinterpret(Char, Int32(x) - Int32(y))
++(x::Char, y::Integer) = reinterpret(Char, Int32(x) + Int32(y))
 +(x::Integer, y::Char) = y + x
--(x::Char   , y::Char) = Int(x) - Int(y)
--(x::Char   , y::Integer) = reinterpret(Char, Int32(x) - Int32(y))
-
-# bitwise operations
-(~)(x::Char) = Char(~UInt32(x))
-(&)(x::Char, y::Char) = Char(UInt32(x) & UInt32(y))
-(|)(x::Char, y::Char) = Char(UInt32(x) | UInt32(y))
-($)(x::Char, y::Char) = Char(UInt32(x) $ UInt32(y))
 
 bswap(x::Char) = Char(bswap(UInt32(x)))
 
-## printing & showing characters ##
 print(io::IO, c::Char) = (write(io, c); nothing)
-show(io::IO,  c::Char) = begin
+function show(io::IO, c::Char)
     print(io, '\'')
     print_escaped(io, utf32(c), "'")
     print(io, '\'')
diff --git a/base/deprecated.jl b/base/deprecated.jl
index 0895070d30544..e49bb6bada70b 100644
--- a/base/deprecated.jl
+++ b/base/deprecated.jl
@@ -435,3 +435,8 @@ export float32_isvalid, float64_isvalid
 
 @deprecate BigFloat(s::AbstractString) parse(BigFloat,s)
 @deprecate BigInt(s::AbstractString) parse(BigInt,s)
+
+@deprecate (~)(x::Char)           Char(~UInt32(x))
+@deprecate (&)(x::Char, y::Char)  Char(UInt32(x) & UInt32(y))
+@deprecate (|)(x::Char, y::Char)  Char(UInt32(x) | UInt32(y))
+@deprecate ($)(x::Char, y::Char)  Char(UInt32(x) $ UInt32(y))