| I've found that simply quoting The Simpsons is enough to facilitate communication. Any TV show really, but Simpsons is the one that I and the people I know have a categorical enough knowledge of to make it feasable.
Basically, it's like that one episode of Star Trek (TNG) where Picard finds himself trapped on an alien planet because of some mumbo-jumbo or other, and he and this alien have to work together to fight off some monster, but the alien only communicates through allegorical references to its culture.
You may even already do this. Ever do something stupid, and then exclaim "D'oh!"? D'oh isn't a real word, at best it's just an annoyed grunt. The meaning of it is symbolic. What you are trying to communicate is "I feel just like Homer Simpson does when he says 'D'oh.'"
Some examples of Simpsons-communication:
"D'oh!"
Translation: "That was stupid of me."
Emotions expressed: light-hearted regret, wistfulness.
"Woman. Huh."
Translation: "How very strange."
Emotions expressed: mild surprise, thoughfulness.
"Aigh! I'm losing my perspicacity!"
Translation: "Recent events are ennervating me."
Emotions expressed: distress, fear of failure.
"Young lady, in this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics!"
Translation: ??
Emotions expressed: authority, perplexedeness | 
