diff --git a/Ledger/Utils.hs b/Ledger/Utils.hs
index 7d15f47b5..8871720bf 100644
--- a/Ledger/Utils.hs
+++ b/Ledger/Utils.hs
@@ -35,6 +35,24 @@ import Data.Time.Clock (UTCTime, diffUTCTime)
 import Data.Time.Format (ParseTime, parseTime, formatTime)
 
 
+-- regexps
+
+instance Show Regex where show r = "a Regex"
+
+-- | convert a list of strings to a regular expression matching any of them,
+-- or a wildcard if there are none.
+regexFor :: [String] -> Regex
+regexFor [] = wildcard
+regexFor ss = mkRegex $ concat $ ["("] ++ (intersperse "|" ss) ++ [")"]
+
+wildcard :: Regex
+wildcard = mkRegex ".*"
+
+containsRegex :: Regex -> String -> Bool
+containsRegex r s = case matchRegex r s of
+                      Just _ -> True
+                      otherwise -> False
+
 -- time
 
 -- | Parse a date-time string to a time type, or raise an error.
@@ -66,7 +84,6 @@ splitAtElement e l =
 
 -- trees
 
--- aliases
 root = rootLabel
 branches = subForest
 
diff --git a/Options.hs b/Options.hs
index 981e676ee..6a1ea84d7 100644
--- a/Options.hs
+++ b/Options.hs
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@ ledgerFilePathFromOpts,
 beginDateFromOpts,
 endDateFromOpts,
 parseAccountDescriptionArgs,
-regexFor, 
-nullpats, 
-wildcard, 
 )
 where
 import System
@@ -113,17 +110,6 @@ parseAccountDescriptionArgs args = (as, ds')
     where (as, ds) = break (=="--") args
           ds' = dropWhile (=="--") ds
 
--- | convert a list of strings to a regular expression matching any of them,
--- or a wildcard if there are none.
-regexFor :: [String] -> Regex
-regexFor [] = wildcard
-regexFor ss = mkRegex $ concat $ ["("] ++ (intersperse "|" ss) ++ [")"]
-
-wildcard :: Regex
-wildcard = mkRegex ".*"
-
-nullpats = (wildcard,wildcard)
-
 -- testoptions RequireOrder ["foo","-v"]
 -- testoptions Permute ["foo","-v"]
 -- testoptions (ReturnInOrder Arg) ["foo","-v"]