Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Aug. 31, 2018	Aug. 31, 2017	Aug. 31, 2016	Aug. 31, 2015
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 250,490	$ 229,571	$ 179,604	$ 168,846
Accounts receivable, net	187,749	190,206
Inventories, net	156,356	143,651
Assets held-for-sale	23,573	21,835
Other current assets	42,732	61,663
Total current assets	660,900	646,926
Property, plant & equipment, net	90,220	94,521
Goodwill	512,412	530,081	519,276
Other intangible assets, net	181,037	220,489
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Other long-term assets	36,769	24,938
Total assets	1,481,338	1,516,955
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	130,838	133,387
Accrued Compensation and benefits	54,508	50,939
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	30,000	30,000
Income Taxes Payable	4,091	6,080
Liabilities held for sale	44,225	101,083
Other current liabilities	67,299	57,445
Total current liabilities	330,961	378,934
Long-term Debt, net	502,695	531,940
Deferred income taxes	21,933	29,859
Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities	14,869	19,862
Other long-term liabilities	52,168	55,821
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	558,712	500,539	520,950	673,001
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	1,481,338	1,516,955
Parent
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	67,649	34,715	7,953	18,688
Accounts receivable, net	19,969	17,498
Inventories, net	22,570	23,308
Assets held-for-sale	0	0
Other current assets	7,358	23,576
Total current assets	117,546	99,097
Property, plant & equipment, net	7,937	7,049
Goodwill	38,847	38,847
Other intangible assets, net	6,884	8,156
Investment in subsidiaries	1,836,954	1,832,472
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Other long-term assets	12,955	8,377
Total assets	2,021,123	1,993,998
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	15,890	15,412
Accrued Compensation and benefits	22,171	19,082
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	30,000	30,000
Income Taxes Payable	0	153
Liabilities held for sale	0	0
Other current liabilities	17,379	18,512
Total current liabilities	85,440	83,159
Long-term Debt, net	502,695	531,940
Deferred income taxes	17,467	24,164
Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities	7,765	12,540
Other long-term liabilities	45,483	48,692
Intercompany payable	803,561	792,964
Total shareholders’ equity	558,712	500,539
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	2,021,123	1,993,998
Guarantors
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	71	567
Accounts receivable, net	54,822	50,749
Inventories, net	59,391	48,492
Assets held-for-sale	0	0
Other current assets	4,759	3,619
Total current assets	118,972	102,860
Property, plant & equipment, net	26,408	26,130
Goodwill	203,543	200,499
Other intangible assets, net	121,793	138,042
Investment in subsidiaries	1,211,781	1,186,715
Intercompany receivable	622,646	589,193
Other long-term assets	366	812
Total assets	2,305,509	2,244,251
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	29,022	27,168
Accrued Compensation and benefits	9,804	7,672
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	0	0
Income Taxes Payable	0	0
Liabilities held for sale	0	0
Other current liabilities	11,078	7,169
Total current liabilities	49,904	42,009
Long-term Debt, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	359	352
Intercompany payable	19,258	0
Total shareholders’ equity	2,235,988	2,201,890
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	2,305,509	2,244,251
Non-Guarantors
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	182,841	194,856	171,580	149,591
Accounts receivable, net	112,958	121,959
Inventories, net	74,395	71,851
Assets held-for-sale	23,573	21,835
Other current assets	30,615	34,468
Total current assets	424,382	444,969
Property, plant & equipment, net	55,875	61,342
Goodwill	270,022	290,735
Other intangible assets, net	52,360	74,291
Investment in subsidiaries	789,917	805,016
Intercompany receivable	200,173	205,183
Other long-term assets	23,448	15,749
Total assets	1,816,177	1,897,285
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	85,926	90,807
Accrued Compensation and benefits	22,533	24,185
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	0	0
Income Taxes Payable	4,091	5,927
Liabilities held for sale	44,225	101,083
Other current liabilities	38,842	31,764
Total current liabilities	195,617	253,766
Long-term Debt, net	0		0
Deferred income taxes	4,466	5,695
Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities	7,104	7,322
Other long-term liabilities	6,326	6,777
Intercompany payable	0	1,412
Total shareholders’ equity	1,602,664	1,622,313
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	1,816,177	1,897,285
Consolidation, Eliminations
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Assets held-for-sale	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property, plant & equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(3,838,652)	(3,824,203)
Intercompany receivable	(822,819)	(794,376)
Other long-term assets	0	0
Total assets	(4,661,471)	(4,618,579)
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	0	0
Accrued Compensation and benefits	0	0
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	0	0
Income Taxes Payable	0	0
Liabilities held for sale	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term Debt, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Intercompany payable	(822,819)	(794,376)
Total shareholders’ equity	(3,838,652)	(3,824,203)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$ (4,661,471)	$ (4,618,579)