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Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
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Aug. 31, 2013 | Aug. 25, 2012 | Aug. 27, 2011
Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized | $ 17,000,000 | $ 11,500,000 | $ 10,600,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation | 8,000,000 | 8,300,000 |
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan [Member] |  |  |
Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |
Pension Expense | 1,900,000 | 1,800,000 | 1,700,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation | 18,110,000 | 16,399,000 | 14,944,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Benefit Obligation | 14,400,000 | 12,900,000 |
UniFirst Plan [Member] |  |  |
Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized | 400,000 | 300,000 | 300,000
Textilease Plan [Member] |  |  |
Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized | $ 100,000 | $ 100,000 | $ 100,000

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- Definition For defined benefit pension plans, the actuarial present value of benefits (whether vested or nonvested) attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered before a specified date and based on employee service and compensation (if applicable) before that date. The accumulated benefit obligation differs from the projected benefit obligation in that it includes no assumption about future compensation levels. For plans with flat-benefit or nonpay-related pension benefit formulas, the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation are the same. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Accumulated Benefit Obligation -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6503844 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition 1) For defined benefit pension plans, the benefit obligation is the projected benefit obligation, which is the actuarial present value as of a date of all benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered prior to that date. 2) For other postretirement defined benefit plans, the benefit obligation is the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation, which is the actuarial present value of benefits attributed to employee service rendered to a particular date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e1928-114920 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Projected Benefit Obligation -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6522206 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6503904 + Details
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- Definition The amount of the cost recognized during the period for defined contribution plans. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 70 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414718&loc=d3e28014-114942 + Details
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- Definition The amount of pension benefit costs recognized during the period for (1) defined benefit plans and (2) defined contribution plans. For defined benefit plans, pension expense includes the following components: service cost, interest cost, expected return on plan assets, gain (loss) on plan assets, prior service cost or credit, transition asset or obligation, and gain (loss) due to settlements or curtailments. For defined contribution plans, the pension expense generally equals the firm's contribution to employees' accounts (if the firm contributes) during the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 70 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414718&loc=d3e28014-114942 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e1928-114920 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (h) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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