Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Aug. 31, 2019	Aug. 31, 2018	Aug. 31, 2017	Aug. 31, 2016
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 211,151	$ 250,490	$ 229,571	$ 179,604
Accounts receivable, net	125,883	123,261
Inventories, net	77,187	72,020
Assets from discontinued operations	285,578	568,933
Other current assets	30,526	32,529
Total current assets	730,325	1,047,233
Property, plant and equipment, net	56,729	54,974
Goodwill	260,415	280,132	272,419
Other intangible assets, net	52,375	71,657
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Other long-term assets	24,430	31,221
Total assets	1,124,274	1,485,217
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	76,914	69,584
Accrued Compensation and benefits	26,421	35,992
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	7,500	30,000
Income Taxes Payable	4,838	4,091
Liabilities from discontinued operations	143,763	160,573
Other current liabilities	40,965	53,768
Total current liabilities	300,401	354,008
Long-term debt, net	452,945	502,695
Deferred income taxes	1,564	3,947
Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities	20,213	13,957
Other long-term liabilities	47,972	51,898
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	301,179	558,712	500,539	520,950
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	1,124,274	1,485,217
Parent
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	47,581	67,945	34,982	8,125
Accounts receivable, net	20,322	19,969
Inventories, net	26,737	22,646
Assets from discontinued operations	295	(1,144)
Other current assets	12,116	6,953
Total current assets	107,051	116,369
Property, plant and equipment, net	8,515	7,634
Goodwill	38,847	38,847
Other intangible assets, net	5,611	6,884
Investment in subsidiaries	1,323,587	1,836,879
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Other long-term assets	27,510	14,972
Total assets	1,511,121	2,021,585
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	23,678	16,091
Accrued Compensation and benefits	11,495	19,643
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	7,500	30,000
Income Taxes Payable	0	0
Liabilities from discontinued operations	1,217	17,839
Other current liabilities	17,556	17,380
Total current liabilities	61,446	100,953
Long-term debt, net	452,945	502,695
Deferred income taxes	(4)	2,415
Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities	12,005	7,765
Other long-term liabilities	44,621	45,483
Intercompany payable	638,929	803,562
Total shareholders’ equity	301,179	558,712
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	1,511,121	2,021,585
Guarantors
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	11,358	15,634
Inventories, net	6,566	5,121
Assets from discontinued operations	145,239	255,676
Other current assets	1,797	2,421
Total current assets	164,960	278,852
Property, plant and equipment, net	5,193	4,481
Goodwill	57,342	57,342
Other intangible assets, net	8,451	17,294
Investment in subsidiaries	912,297	918,050
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Other long-term assets	(13,424)	50
Total assets	1,134,819	1,276,069
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	3,231	2,646
Accrued Compensation and benefits	1,657	1,774
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	0	0
Income Taxes Payable	0	0
Liabilities from discontinued operations	29,292	20,384
Other current liabilities	2,388	6,017
Total current liabilities	36,568	30,821
Long-term debt, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	114	265
Intercompany payable	340,960	133,697
Total shareholders’ equity	757,177	1,111,286
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	1,134,819	1,276,069
Non-Guarantors
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	163,570	182,545	194,589	171,479
Accounts receivable, net	94,203	87,658
Inventories, net	43,884	44,253
Assets from discontinued operations	140,044	314,401
Other current assets	16,613	23,155
Total current assets	458,314	652,012
Property, plant and equipment, net	43,021	42,859
Goodwill	164,226	183,943
Other intangible assets, net	38,313	47,479
Investment in subsidiaries	417,022	301,782
Intercompany receivable	979,889	937,259
Other long-term assets	10,344	16,199
Total assets	2,111,129	2,181,533
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	50,005	50,847
Accrued Compensation and benefits	13,269	14,575
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	0	0
Income Taxes Payable	4,838	4,091
Liabilities from discontinued operations	113,254	122,350
Other current liabilities	21,021	30,371
Total current liabilities	202,387	222,234
Long-term debt, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	1,568	1,532
Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities	8,208	6,192
Other long-term liabilities	3,237	6,150
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total shareholders’ equity	1,895,729	1,945,425
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	2,111,129	2,181,533
Consolidation, Eliminations
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Assets from discontinued operations	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(2,652,906)	(3,056,711)
Intercompany receivable	(979,889)	(937,259)
Other long-term assets	0	0
Total assets	(3,632,795)	(3,993,970)
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 from discontinued operations	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	(979,889)	(937,259)
Total shareholders’ equity	(2,652,906)	(3,056,711)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$ (3,632,795)	$ (3,993,970)