Note 15 - Income Taxes (Details) - Provision for Income Taxes by Geographic Operations (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2013		Aug. 31, 2012	Aug. 31, 2011
Provision for Income Taxes by Geographic Operations [Abstract]
U.S. operations	$ 220,778		$ 229,772	$ 198,688
Non-U.S. operations	50,132		44,933	40,270
Income before income taxes	270,910		274,705	238,958
U.S. operations	61,328		76,020	58,125
Non-U.S. operations	10,945		9,876	9,787
Total provision for income taxes	$ 72,273	[1]	$ 85,896	$ 67,912	[2]
Effective tax rate	26.70%	[1]	31.30%	28.40%	[2]

[1] Includes income tax benefits of $7.2 million primarily from the reenactment of the U.S. Federal R&D tax credit in January 2013 and the finalization of the fiscal 2012 tax return. The reenactment of the credit was retroactive to January 1, 2012 and extends through the end of the 2013 calendar year. The fiscal 2013 annual effective tax rate before discrete items of $7.2 million was 28.9%.

[2] Includes income tax benefits of $6.3 million from the finalization of the fiscal 2010 tax return and the reenactment of the U.S. Federal R&D tax credit in December 2010. The fiscal 2011 annual effective tax rate before discrete items of $6.3 million was 30.9%.