diff --git a/lib/chronic/parser.rb b/lib/chronic/parser.rb
index 3d4c95dd..a5988ab3 100644
--- a/lib/chronic/parser.rb
+++ b/lib/chronic/parser.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ class Parser
       :guess => true,
       :ambiguous_time_range => 6,
       :endian_precedence    => [:middle, :little],
-      :ambiguous_year_future_bias => 50
+      :ambiguous_year_future_bias => 50,
+      :numerize => true
     }
 
     attr_accessor :now
@@ -54,6 +55,10 @@ class Parser
     #                 look x amount of years into the future and past. If the
     #                 two digit year is `now + x years` it's assumed to be the
     #                 future, `now - x years` is assumed to be the past.
+    #        :numerize - Attempt to parse numbers written in natural language
+    #                 (ex "twenty third" becomes "23rd"). Default is true (on).
+    #                 Disabling this option saves significant memory.
+
     def initialize(options = {})
       @options = DEFAULT_OPTIONS.merge(options)
       @now = options.delete(:now) || Chronic.time_class.now
@@ -102,7 +107,7 @@ def pre_normalize(text)
       text.gsub!(/,/, ' ')
       text.gsub!(/^second /, '2nd ')
       text.gsub!(/\bsecond (of|day|month|hour|minute|second)\b/, '2nd \1')
-      text = Numerizer.numerize(text)
+      text = Numerizer.numerize(text) if @options[:numerize]
       text.gsub!(/([\/\-\,\@])/) { ' ' + $1 + ' ' }
       text.gsub!(/(?:^|\s)0(\d+:\d+\s*pm?\b)/, ' \1')
       text.gsub!(/\btoday\b/, 'this day')
diff --git a/test/test_parsing.rb b/test/test_parsing.rb
index 577d00c4..444e6e24 100644
--- a/test/test_parsing.rb
+++ b/test/test_parsing.rb
@@ -1239,6 +1239,11 @@ def test_handle_rdn_rmn_od_sy
     assert_equal Time.local(2005, 12, 30, 12), time
   end
 
+  def test_handle_numerize_disabled
+    time = parse_now("aug 3", :numerize => false)
+    assert_equal Time.local(2007, 8, 3, 12), time
+  end
+
   def test_normalizing_day_portions
     assert_equal pre_normalize("8:00 pm February 11"), pre_normalize("8:00 p.m. February 11")
   end