WASHINGTON, D.C. — As St. Patrick's Day celebrations are in full swing around the world, etiquette coaches Alison Cheperdak and Richie Frieman offered guidance on when it is acceptable to leave a gathering without saying goodbye. The practice of slipping out of a party or leaving a bar without saying goodbye is commonly known as the "Irish goodbye."

Alison Cheperdak, a Washington, D.C.-based etiquette coach and founder of Elevate Etiquette, said the answer depends on context. "It depends on the scenario," Cheperdak said.

Cheperdak said that if someone is at an intimate dinner party, an Irish goodbye would be considered impolite. She said that at a large function, announcing a departure could be more of a faux pas. "Sometimes it makes sense," Cheperdak said.

Cheperdak also recommended a follow-up message as an alternative to a formal exit. "Sometimes a quick text at the end of the night or letting someone know how much you appreciated seeing them the next day makes more sense," she said. Cheperdak said a quick text or message thanking people can "bridge the gap between traditional etiquette and modern convenience."

Cheperdak recently defended the Irish goodbye tactic in a Wall Street Journal essay. In explaining why some people choose to leave without announcements, she said, "You don't want to create this domino effect where everybody else is leaving and being disruptive."

Richie Frieman, a Baltimore-based etiquette expert known as the "Modern Manners Guy," described the practice as a way to make leaving easier. "The purpose of an Irish goodbye is solely about simplifying an exit," Frieman said.

Frieman said the Irish goodbye is more about simplifying an exit than it is about saving time. "If someone says they saved time by sneaking out like a thief in the night, then just humor them." He also called it a "go-to move when someone doesn't want to be seen leaving early."

Dictionary.com says the term describes someone slipping out quietly, sometimes to avoid revealing how much they had been drinking. According to reports, Uber is promoting discounted rides for those looking to leave parties "without a peep."

Similar expressions for leaving without saying goodbye exist across different cultures. In England, leaving without saying goodbye has been called a "French leave," and in France, the equivalent expression translates to leaving "the English way." Linguists say these terms often reflect cultural rivalries rather than reality and were historically used "to disparage another country," according to Babbel.