to show off, to make fun of
Comprou o carro do ano só pra tirar onda.
He bought the newest car just to show off.
The origin is disputed and anecdotal, with no single documented source. The most repeated account traces tirar onda to Brazilian surf culture of the 1960s and 70s: someone who sits on the board in the breakers posturing as a surfer but never actually catches a wave is just "taking wave" — all show, no substance. Others link it to the world of samba and street wit.
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