def METHOD_NAME(string, vars, local_vars={}):
    """Expand a string containing $vars as Ninja would.
    Note: doesn't handle the full Ninja variable syntax, but it's enough
    to make configure.py's use of it work.
    """
    def exp(m):
        var = m.group(1)
        if var == '$':
            return '$'
        return local_vars.get(var, vars.get(var, ''))
    return re.sub(r'\$(\$|\w*)', exp, string)