Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	May. 31, 2015	May. 31, 2014
Operating Activities
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 41,280	$ 73,186
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	(17,234)	(33,839)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	886	44,036
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of transaction costs		252,773
Business acquisition, net of cash acquired	0	(30,500)
Intercompany investment	0	0
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(16,348)	232,470
Financing Activities
Debt issuance cost	(1,875)	0
Purchase of treasury shares	(204,627)	(183,152)
Intercompany Loan Activity	0	0
Intercompany Capital Contribution	0	0
Stock option exercises, related tax benefits and other	5,046	29,849
Payment of contingent acquisition consideration	0	(1,585)
Cash dividend	(2,598)	(2,919)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	5,946	(282,807)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(31,765)	2,790
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(887)	25,639
Cash and cash equivalents – beginning of period	109,012	103,986
Cash and cash equivalents – end of period	108,125	129,625
Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Revolver
Financing Activities
Net repayments	0	(125,000)
Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Term Loan
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loan	213,375	0
Net repayments	(3,375)	0
Parent
Operating Activities
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	36,510	33,121
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	(880)	(3,823)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	0	52
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of transaction costs		(4,586)
Business acquisition, net of cash acquired		(30,500)
Intercompany investment	(1,117)	0
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(1,997)	(38,857)
Financing Activities
Debt issuance cost	(1,875)
Purchase of treasury shares	(204,627)	(183,152)
Intercompany Loan Activity	58,569	(313,748)
Intercompany Capital Contribution	0	0
Stock option exercises, related tax benefits and other	5,046	29,849
Payment of contingent acquisition consideration		0
Cash dividend	(2,598)	(2,919)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(52,623)	32,526
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(18,110)	26,790
Cash and cash equivalents – beginning of period	27,931	16,122
Cash and cash equivalents – end of period	9,821	42,912
Parent | Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Revolver
Financing Activities
Net repayments		(125,000)
Parent | Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Term Loan
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loan	213,375
Net repayments	(3,375)
Guarantors
Operating Activities
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(39,865)	10,376
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	(3,495)	(3,558)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	203	484
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of transaction costs		214,268
Business acquisition, net of cash acquired		0
Intercompany investment	0	(99,963)
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(3,292)	111,231
Financing Activities
Debt issuance cost	0
Purchase of treasury shares	0	0
Intercompany Loan Activity	(40,796)	118,216
Intercompany Capital Contribution	0	0
Stock option exercises, related tax benefits and other	0	0
Payment of contingent acquisition consideration		0
Cash dividend	0	0
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	40,796	(118,216)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(2,361)	3,391
Cash and cash equivalents – beginning of period	3,325	0
Cash and cash equivalents – end of period	964	3,391
Guarantors | Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Revolver
Financing Activities
Net repayments		0
Guarantors | Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Term Loan
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loan	0
Net repayments	0
Non-Guarantors
Operating Activities
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	44,635	44,405
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	(12,859)	(26,458)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	683	43,500
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of transaction costs		43,091
Business acquisition, net of cash acquired		0
Intercompany investment	0	0
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(12,176)	60,133
Financing Activities
Debt issuance cost	0
Purchase of treasury shares	0	0
Intercompany Loan Activity	(17,773)	195,532
Intercompany Capital Contribution	1,117	99,963
Stock option exercises, related tax benefits and other	0	0
Payment of contingent acquisition consideration		(1,585)
Cash dividend	0	(14,716)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	18,890	(111,870)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(31,765)	2,790
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	19,584	(4,542)
Cash and cash equivalents – beginning of period	77,756	87,864
Cash and cash equivalents – end of period	97,340	83,322
Non-Guarantors | Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Revolver
Financing Activities
Net repayments		0
Non-Guarantors | Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Term Loan
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loan	0
Net repayments	0
Eliminations
Operating Activities
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	(14,716)
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of transaction costs		0
Business acquisition, net of cash acquired		0
Intercompany investment	1,117	99,963
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities	1,117	99,963
Financing Activities
Debt issuance cost	0
Purchase of treasury shares	0	0
Intercompany Loan Activity	0	0
Intercompany Capital Contribution	(1,117)	(99,963)
Stock option exercises, related tax benefits and other	0	0
Payment of contingent acquisition consideration		0
Cash dividend	0	14,716
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(1,117)	(85,247)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents – beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents – end of period	0	0
Eliminations | Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Revolver
Financing Activities
Net repayments		$ 0
Eliminations | Line of Credit | Senior Credit Facility - Term Loan
Financing Activities
Proceeds from term loan	0
Net repayments	$ 0