The fields of comparative and international education have overlapping identities and are commonly paired. The overlap and pairing has been evident in the history of "Compare" as well as elsewhere. However, the indistinct nature of the boundaries can cause conceptual difficulties. Taking a historical perspective not only on "Compare" and its sponsoring association but also on other journals and their sponsoring bodies, this article highlights some of the ambiguities and argues for stronger definitional and conceptual clarity. (Contains 3 notes.)