If you keep oranges and lemons too long, they shrivel up and go wrinkly, but remain edible. But if you keep limes too long, then way before they shrivel they develop a horrible off taste and quickly go brown and mouldy. Why are limes different I wonder?

Thinner skin???

Hey, is that supposed to be some kind of crack about the Irish??

Not my experience - purchased limes function similar to lemons straight off the tree around here - skin shrivels but they're salvagable (worth doing, they can be a buck each). OTOH our oranges can develop green fur if neglected and mandarins go squishy, soft amd slimy which are both chuck-on-sight conditions.

Maybe your limes are handled differently in the supply chain.

"Limeys" refers to anyone in the British Navy, from the days when they were given lime juice to prevent scurvy, you useless drunken Irishman.

Hmmm. I shall have to select my limes better, or drink more margaritas to use them up before they go off :-)

The limes around here should be fresh off the tree, but who knows? Perhaps they've been in storage for too long before I buy them.